The Future is Waiting
by shadowsilver11
Summary: Two people are the key to defeat evil who is Lord Voldemort. Surely, one of the two is Harry Potter. But the other one? Love story includes my new character and a tangled Harry-Draco rivalry. Sweetly mental...
1. The Message

Okay, so I'm new in the Harry Potter fanfics circulation so easy on the flamethrower, guys. This may turn out to be really cheesy but this is a first timer so, world peace? Another thing, you might notice that it's a kinda feeble attempt at mimicking Rowling… Sorry about that too. Anyways, on to my nonsense… Hee hee! By the way, this is post OotP, since I don't know what's coming in book six yet… Please don't punish me for the cheesy stuff…

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 1: The Message**

It was five in the morning and Harry Potter suddenly sat bolt upright in his bed. It was an early Saturday morning. He was back at Number Four Privet Drive for the summer once again; back to the house where he was not _the Boy Who Defeated the Dark Lord_ but the boy who lived to the Dursleys' dismay. Though, this was not the perfect time for Harry to be criticizing the people who took him in; he had just dreamt of it again.

For several nights now since Harry's arrival for the summer, he has been dreaming of the same thing, and he can't understand just why.

First, he'd see the rest of the room. He was seeing the dream through his own eyes, meaning he was right there in the dream. He would be standing, his right shoulder leaning against the wall, right next to windows that rose to the ceiling of the room. He would gaze everytime around that dimly lit, somewhat blue-tinged square room. After the first few nights he dreamt about it, he thought the room was familiar. After enough reflecting on the look of it, he realized that it was the room he and Ron, one of his best friends, used when they were staying at Grimmauld Place. It was in Sirius' house.

Sirius was Harry's late godfather. He had died only a few weeks back. He was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, who was also responsible for the permanent incapacitation of Neville Longbottom's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom. If Harry hated him before for ruining Neville's life, it was nothing to how he felt now. But of course, he couldn't do anything about it. Dumbledore thought Privet Drive was the safest place for Harry, and he did not dare disobey Dumbledore this time around, not after he'd learned a great deal of Dumbledore's plan before he left Hogwarts at the end of the term. So, even if he wanted to just jinx Lestrange's face to form the word "sneak" in horrible red pimples just like Hermione did with one of the DA members who betrayed them, he can't.

Everytime he saw the whole of the room, he'd walk silently past two large beds, the beds where he and Ron slept. Then he'd hear a female voice talking.

"I don't understand. Please, Sirius. I don't want to leave you," the female voice would say. Then, Harry faces his right and sees the speaker. Facing the wall and separated from it only by another body was a woman, around her 20's, wearing a long sleeved dress that fell to the floor, and appeared to be made of red satin under endless black laces. The woman's back was always turned everytime Harry would see her, so he could not see her face. Instead, he saw her straight long red hair that was chest lenght. Her waist, however, was always in the arms of a man. Her arms would also always be wrapped around the neck of that man, whom she was facing. Harry knew who this man was. The woman would always mention his name at the start of his dream.

"Do not worry. Everything will be all right soon. I will sort all this out," Sirius would always assure the woman. Many times, Harry wanted to ask them what they were talking about, but his dream always took on a different turn.

After Sirius speaks, he leans in to kiss the woman, and Harry's head always turns in the direction of the door, which always stood wide open. There, he would see a girl his age standing, gazing at Sirius and the woman. Then, the girl would turn her eyes upon him.

Everytime Harry saw her, it seemed as though Harry's brain worked to always take in the things he saw first. He first noticed the girl's ocean blue eyes, then the girl's white complexion, but rosy cheeks. The girl's face always showed with curiosity, peering inside the room. The girl had jet-black hair, though Harry could not tell how long it was. The girl was facing him. She was wearing black robes, though Harry could see that she was of the same build as Hermione, Harry's other best friend.

When the girl would look at him, he would open his mouth to speak, and would see the girl's face show anticipation at his words, but Sirius would speak again.

"No one can part us. You know that," and Sirius would raise one of his hands to touch the woman's face, and then his hair, then he would kiss the woman again. When Harry turns toward the door, he'd find that the girl would already be in front of him, at half an arm's distance.

"What – what's happen – " Harry would stutter.

"I really don't know," the girl would say in a quiet voice. Harry noticed that the girl did not have a British accent.

"But – why –"

"Do you know where we are?" the girl would ask. Always, everytime he dreamt this, at the girl's words, he would have the sudden urge to hold her, to wrap his arms around her, and he would find himself and the girl in the same position as Sirius and the woman.

Only, last night, there was a little progress in his dream.

"Wh – What –" The girl was startled. It appeared to Harry that the girl didn't understand what was happening as well. When Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, the girl also wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I – I can't move," Harry said as he tried to remove his arms, but his arms wouldn't move.

"Neither can I," said the girl, a slight panic in her voice now.

"Hey, I know this is not the right time, I mean, we're stuck in a very awkward position, but – are you real? I mean, are you having these as dreams, too?" Harry spoke hurriedly, keen to get all his questions answered.

"Ye – yes. I've been seeing this dream for several nights now… Do you mean to say – You're a real person, too? You live –" said the girl, hurriedly speaking as well.

"Yes. I'm alive – I mean – I'm real – What – I still can't move – What's your name?"

"My name is Claire. And you?"

"I'm Harry."

Then, Harry woke.

Harry got up from his bed and dressed himself. He thought it was peculiar. He was used to having visions. Only last year, he saw through Voldemort's vision as though it was his own. However, he thought that, with Voldemort back, now was not the right time for meeting someone in his dreams, especially if he was unsure if the person he was meeting was real and, given that the girl was real, where in the world he was going to find her.

Harry had already swung his bedroom door open when Hedwig gave a loud hoot. He turned and saw that Hedwig was perched on top of her cage and was holding a white envelope in her beak. He walked across the room to Hedwig. He took the envelope and let Hedwig into her cage. The envelope had nothing written on it, so Harry hurriedly tore it open and saw two pieces of parchment inside. One was from Dumbledore.

Harry – 

_I've said that you have to stay at your Aunt and Uncle's this summer. However, I've seen that circumstances permit you to stay at the Burrow. Ron will write to you. His letter will come with this, and he will tell you the details of how you will go to their place. This is for your own safety, Harry. You need not reply to me. Contact the Weasleys instead. Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary._

_Yours truly,_

_Professore Dumbledore_

Harry's heart was pounding. He could not understandwhy Dumbledore suddenly decided that he should go to the Burrow, but he could not hide his glee. He had wanted, more than anything, to go back to the Burrow and spend the summer with the Weasleys, whom Harry has treated like his own family. Though there was some kind of underlying voice of urgency in Dumbledore's letter, a feeling of danger approaching, Harry just couldn't help but feel happy about going to Weasleys. He read Ron's untidy writing next.

_Harry – _

_We just received an owl from Dumbledore saying that he's allowing you to stay with us for the summer. I think this letter's coming with Dumbledore's note to you. Anyway, Mum and I are coming tomorrow to fetch you. We'll be using Muggle transportation, dunno why. Mum says we'll be there at three o'clock. Just tell your Aunt and Uncle that we're coming. Even if they don't let you go, we'll come anyway. So, pack your stuff and see you at three tomorrow._

_Ron_

Harry's heart pounded more furiously. He was going with Ron tomorrow. He couldn't wish for anything more. He grinned. The two letters clutched in his right hand, he walked out of his bedroom. He went downstairs to breakfast with the Dursleys. He was going to show the two letters to them. He was going to tell them that he was going, and even if they wouldn't allow him, they've got no choice, or maybe Dumbledore himself would come if the Dursleys did not release him. His mind was completely swept of the dream he had been having, and the girl in his dreams. He was just too excited about his departure to worry about anything else – even Lord Voldemort.


	2. At the Leaky Cauldron

Here's chapter 2…

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 2: At the Leaky Cauldron**

The rest of that Saturday went uneventful, or maybe Harry just overlooked everything that happened because of his excitement. Before he went to sleep, he packed his trunk and checked everything.

He got up at five the next day and re-checked his things once more. With nothing missing and nothing else wrong, he went downstairs to breakfast.

As usual, nobody took notice of Harry as he entered the kitchen. So, he silently ate his breakfast, an unfairly small apple. (Dudley was still on the diet, so everyone else was, too.)

"You boy, come here," Uncle Vernon suddenly called just as Harry was about to go out of the kitchen. "That fat lady is coming, eh?"

"Fat – lady?" Harry stared.

"The one we saw at the train station before?" Uncle Vernon barked.

"She has a name," Harry said, irritated by Uncle Vernon's manner. The Dursleys hate magic, and feel that they're well positioned to insult anything related to it. "She's Mrs. Weasley – "

"I don't care what her name is! I'm just going to tell you that if she's coming today, we will not face her!" Uncle Vernon yelled. Apparently, even the mention of the name of anyone related to magic was not permitted. "We will be going out today," he managed to say when he'd calmed down. "When you leave, lock the house. Do you understand?" he said, breathing hard.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied.

After breakfast, the Dursleys left Harry alone in the house. Harry was never given the liberty to spend his time alone in the house, but the thought of restricting him from doing so was obviously driven out of Uncle Vernon's mind; he was so preoccupied being horrified at another witch's visit.

At three, the doorbell rang. Harry dashed to the front door and opened it. He saw Mrs. Weasley beaming at him, and beside her, Ron, wearing an expression of relief that they'd found the right house using just Muggle transportation.

"Hello Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley said with a big hug.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley. Um, thanks for coming to get me," Harry said after she'd let go of him.

"Oh, it's my pleasure, dear."

"Hi, Ron," Harry smiled at Ron.

"Hi, Harry," He grinned back.

"Nice to see you."

"Me too."

"Well, we'd better get going. Harry, where are your things?" Mrs. Weasley said as Harry stepped aside for them to at least see the hallway.

"It's upstairs. Hang on, I'm just gonna get it," Harry said as he dashed back upstairs.

"I'm gonna help you," Ron said as he followed.

He and Ron brought his things downstairs, and then, Mrs. Weasley hailed a cab outside. While they were riding, Harry suddenly remembered Dumbledore.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you know why Professor Dumbledore told me to come?" he said, looking sideways at Mrs. Weasley and Ron.

"Yeah, Mum. Why'd he suddenly changed plans?"

"It's a long story, you two. I don't think I'm fit to tell you all about it. Just wait 'til we get to London."

"London?" Ron asked, startled.

"We're going to London? I thought we were going to the Burrow?" Harry asked, brows furrowed.

"Oh, all right. Dumbledore figured another way to make you lot safe. He wants the students out of this – Yes, all you young ones at Hogwarts," Mrs. Weasley added, seeing Ron's raised eyebrows. "Today, we're going to Diagon Alley to buy what you need for school. You two are to stay at the Leaky Cauldron tonight. I don't know if Hermione's coming but I think she will. And then tomorrow – "

"We're going back to Hogwarts?" Ron interrupted.

"Of course not," she said irritably. "You will be brought to a safe place."

"I thought there was no safer place than Hogwarts?" Harry said.

"Well, it is probably the safest here in Britain. But Dumbledore doesn't want to take any risks. You're going to a place far from here. But you will still know what's going on, so don't you feel sorry thinking you're missing all the fun."

"What about you? And Dad? Those not attending Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

"Well, your Dad and I, and your brothers, are in the Order, are we not? We're going to have to stay."

"But, Mrs. Weasley, that would be unfair. I mean, why can't the Hogwarts students help you?"

"Harry, you know why we want you young ones alive."

Harry and Ron stared at Mrs. Weasley, once again surprised by the information they received.

"London," the cab driver suddenly said. He was looking at the three of them curiously; he was obviously listening to their conversation.

"Harry help me with this. I don't know Muggle money," Mrs. Weasley said, showing Harry a handful of Muggle coins. After sorting out the money and paying the driver the right amount, Harry, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley made to get out of the car, before Mrs. Weasley stopped and said, "And oh, one more thing!" She said, reaching into a bag she was carrying. She took out her wand and pointed it at the driver. "_Obliviate!_"

"Have a nice day!" the driver said innocently at them.

"Harry! Ron!" a shrill voice sounded. "Mrs. Weasley! Oh, I'm pleased to see you all!" Hermione came up to the three of them. They entered the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hello, Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley beamed at her. "Oh, look at the time! Boys, do you mind if I leave you now? Can you get your things by yourselves?"

"We'll be alright, Mum," Ron said. "Just – take care – whatever you do for the Order," he added, going as red as his hair.

"Oh Ron!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed, hugging her son.

"See you, Mrs. Weasley!"

"Take care, Mrs. Weasley!"

"You too, dears. Take care of yourselves, okay?" she replied, hugging Harry and Hermione as well. Then, with a small _pop_, Mrs. Weasley vanished.

"So, what's been happening?" Harry asked as they settled themselves in one of the tables near the corner.

"What do you mean 'What's been happening'?" Ron said.

"Well, a few weeks back, a lot happened with Vol – You-Know-Who, right?" Harry said sarcastically. "How about now?"

"Nothing's happened, Harry," Hermione said. "Well, nothing _yet_."

"What do you mean 'nothing yet'? You sound like you're wishing for bad stuff to happen," Ron snarled at her.

"Oh please, Ron. Don't you see? The more it's quiet, the scarier it gets!" Hermione said, slapping her hand on the table.

"Keep your voice down, Hermione," Harry muttered.

"Yeah well, sorry. Anyway, what I mean is nothing is happening, or nothing we know about. I think it's better that You-Know-Who fights us straightforwardly, rather than this quiet, while we are restless, knowing that he's somewhere out there creeping up on us."

"You're going to be a Hogwarts headmistress, you are," Ron said, making Hermione blush. "And you're gonna have to fight the Ministry of Magic just like Dumbledore. You have the same thinking patterns, you know."

"Shut up."

"At least we know the ministry's on our side now."

"Yeah, they're not being stupid now."

"So, what do you think's gonna happen to Hogwarts students?" Hermione changed the subject.

"What do you mean? What's happening to us?" Ron asked.

"Well, we're being sent to another school, aren't we?" Hermione replied.

"Another school?" Harry now asked.

"Yes! Tomorrow! Don't you two ever pay attention?" Hermione said, exasperated.

"We know we're being sent somewhere tomorrow, but we didn't know we were going to another school. So, which one is it? Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?" Ron asked.

"Neither," Hermione said casually. Harry and Ron stared at her.

"Then – where?" Harry managed to speak.

"Bridgework,"

"Excuse me?"

"_Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic_! Don't you know about it?" she looked at Harry. Harry immediately shook his head. She turned to Ron, who shook his head too. "Honestly! I expect you to know about it! You're from an all-wizard family!"

"Well, never heard of it. Sorry," he stared at Hermione, as though scared she might get angrier.

"Academy of Eastern Magic? So it's somewhere – " Harry started.

" – In Asia," Hermione said.

"In Asia? What's Dumbledore thinking, sending us off to another continent?" said Ron.

"It's for your own safety. Don't be so thick," Hermione said darkly.

"Tell us about – Badgework?" Harry said.

"Well, for a start, it's _Bridgework_, not Badgework. It's somewhere in Asia, I don't know where, because naturally, it's kept secret. I've read that it's a really close friend of Hogwarts, I think they were established simultaneously. Its founders were British, not Asian. I think the founders were friends, thus, binding Hogwarts and Bridgework with magical ties even stronger than the friendship between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang."

"Its founders were friends with the likes of Slytherin and Gryffindor? Then they must be loonies too, y'know," Ron said.

"And fortunately for you, those loonies built a school for even worse loonies like you to learn," Hermione said firmly to Ron, and then she continued. "The school teaches English, so all it's students, Asian or not, know how to speak English. And it's the language they use in everyday life anyway. Its current headmistress is Professor Eugene. I think it's the most famous magical school in all of Asia. It has seen many historical events after all, including that of You-Know-Who's rise. And of course, Rose Ashworth increases its popularity," she finished.

"Who's Rose Ashworth?" Harry said blankly.

"Hang on, I know about her! Rose Ashworth! Blimey, I almost forgot about her!" Ron said triumphantly. Harry did not understand why.

"Well, that was the Ashworths' aim when they left, wasn't it? They wanted all of the magical community in Britain to forget about them," Hermione said.

"Why?" Harry said. Hermione stared at her and Ron started to laugh. "What? Can you just tell me who Rose Ashworth is?" Harry said, annoyed.

"She's your soulmate, Harry!" Ron burst out, laughing.

"What?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Ron! Honestly, you don't believe that rubbish, do you?" Hermione said. And then she turned to Harry. "Harry, Rose Ashworth's the only other person who survived You-Know-Who's curse – aside from you."

"Survivor? But I thought – "

"Yeah, we all thought you were the only one who survived. But, as I've said, the Ashworths are almost forgotten now. So people go around saying that you're the only one when actually, you're not. There are two of you who survived You-Know-Who's _Avada Kedavra_. And Rose Ashworth, since then, had had the same fate as you. She was also a year old when You-Know-Who attacked her family, the same year you were, and her parents, grandparents, and everyone in her family died. She wasn't adopted by a Muggle family, or even a wizarding family, however, so that makes her different from you. She grew up alone, and since the Ashworths were filthy rich, she got by. I think she lives in a mansion, at least, and is currently the employer of at least a hundred human servants," she said, Harry and Ron gaping at her. "Yes, little hard working house-elves are not enough for little Miss Survivor of the Dark Lord," she smiled nastily. "Honestly, I think she sounds like a spoiled brat, much like Malfoy."

"Why did her family want themselves to be forgotten?" Harry asked.

"That, I do not know. But what does it matter? I mean, you get more sympathy than she does, maybe not because she is forgotten, but because people like you more. So what if she survived You-Know-Who if she doesn't know how to treat other humans properly?"

"Now, see here. Those servants must have been employed years before she was born. Maybe she doesn't want all those!" Ron said.

"Well, why not get rid of them?" Hermione said coolly.

"Maybe she can't stand to sack them! I mean, she's grown up with them, hasn't she?" Ron said. Harry sensed that this was the start of another long argument in which he would be forced to take sides, so he decided to cut it short.

"Does anyone know how she survived You-Know-Who?" he said.

"No one knows," Hermione said. "It's the same mystery as yours, Harry."

And Harry felt, for the first time, eager to meet Rose Ashworth.


	3. Portal to Bridgework, South Phoenix

Hey! Here's the deal. I know a whole new wizarding school, and everything new here anyway, sounds weird. Sorry about that. Anyways, on to the story. This is chapter 3!

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 3: Portal to Bridgework, South Phoenix**

After finishing their shopping for school things, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to the Leaky Cauldron. Later, Ginny arrived accompanied by Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley, however, left right away, saying that he had a lot of work to do. When night fell, Ginny and Hermione went to their room, while Harry and Ron went to theirs.

"Hey, Ron," Harry called out in the dark. He was lying on his bed, and the lamps were already put out. Ron was lying in the bed opposite his.

"Yeah?" Ron replied.

"You – you remember what you said earlier?"

"Said about what?"

"Earlier – when I asked who Rose Ashworth was – you – you said she was my soulmate – "

"Oh – That. I was just joking. No need to get offended and all – "

"No. I meant, what made you say that? What did Hermione mean? She said you shouldn't believe that – something."

"Well, there's this rumor that went around before. Since you were of the same age, and you both survived You-Know-Who, they say that you were, well, meant for each other."

"What?"

"I know it sounds rubbish. I mean, I don't really believe it anyway. I told you I was just joking earlier. But that's what they say."

"How can they say that? I mean, are there prophecies about that?"

"I dunno. But I really think it's just a rumor, y'know."

"…"

"Hey, you're starting to sound like you really want to meet Ashworth. Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her even before you met her?" Ron laughed.

"Shut up."

"Well, good night. We're gonna have a long journey tomorrow. Blimey, I didn't think I'd see Asia while I was at Hogwarts."

"Is their magic different from ours?"

"I don't think so. I mean, the school where we're going is a lot like Hogwarts, right? Maybe just a little different. Maybe they have native magic or that kind of stuff."

After a few minutes, Harry heard Ron snore. He was already asleep. Harry, however, lay awake in bed, thinking things over. Ron was right. He, Harry, really wanted to meet Rose Ashworth, but not because he had fallen in love with her. He wanted to meet her because he wanted to ask her a lot of things. He wanted to know how Ashworth found out about her parents' death, how she accepted it. He wanted to know what Ashworth now feels about Voldemort. _He wanted to know, more than anything else, how she survived Voldemort, how she survived death._

Hermione shook Harry and Ron awake the next day, while Ginny arranged their unpacked things.

"Thanks, Ginny," Ron muttered as he went past her out of the room.

"Next time, pack your trunks a week before," she replied grumpily.

After the four of them had a hurried breakfast at the dining area of the Leaky Cauldron, they rode a cab to the train station. Harry did not need to help this time with Muggle money, Hermione was with them.

"I thought we weren't going back to Hogwarts? Why're we riding the school train?" Ron said as they leaned towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Harry, too, thought that there must be some mistake in Dumbledore's orders.

"Do use your common sense. The Hogwarts Express is a magical train, Ron." Hermione answered when they went through. Platform nine and three-quarters came into view. Hogwarts students were indeed everywhere, but every face looked just as puzzled.

"So, do you mean we're going to another continent by train, Hermione?" Ginny asked as she hurried alongside them.

"Well, technically, yes."

"How?" Harry asked.

"I think, we're going to go through a portal."

"A portal?" Ron said. "The whole train's gonna go through a portal? But that's dangerous!"

"Why?" Harry faced Ron.

"Well, the train's too big, isn't it? It might go off balance while going through the portal or something. People might fall out. Then they'd be lost in between different worlds forever!"

"The school train is held by strong magic so no one should fall out of it, Ron," Hermione said, shooting an irritated look at Ron. Seeing Harry's blank look, she continued. "Harry, a portal is a passageway, of course. It's a restricted way of travelling, and is only allowed by the Ministry of Magic in times of grave need, such as this. It has many uses. Some use it to travel between different times, to the past or to the future. Others use it to go to very far places, like what we're going to do," she said as they climbed the train. "It _is_ very dangerous, but if your magic is really powerful, you won't have a hard time. And since the Hogwarts Express is probably bound by Dumbledore's magic, it'll be powerful enough to protect the whole train I expect," Harry nodded as she finished.

"Ginny! Over here!" A fifth year girl called Ginny as they passed her compartment. Ginny said goodbye to them and joined her fellow fifth years, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to find a compartment of their own. Down the corridor, they saw Malfoy, with Crabbe and Goyle as always, waiting for them.

"What're you doing here?" Ron blurted out when they came face to face.

"Ron, the weren't sent to Azkaban, so they should be here. They're not You-Know-Who's supporters. They're not – what do they call themselves? Oh, they're not Death Eaters," Hermione said to Ron, though obviously pointing her words to infuriate Malfoy. "Well, _not yet_," she looked nastily at Malfoy.

"You'll find yourself in great danger one of these days, Granger, if you don't keep that bushy head filled with dirty Muggle blood down," Malfoy said quietly.

"What're you gonna do? Any trick up your sleeve, Malfoy?" Harry sneered.

"Oh, I'd like to see him try," Hermione said, smiling just as nastily and proceeding down the corridor.

Soon, they found an empty compartment where they settled themselves. The food trolley, from which they bought their food, went by not long after.

"Harry, is there something bothering you?" Hermione said, peering at Harry's face. He had been quiet in their journey, drowned in his thoughts, so that Hermione noticed.

"What? Oh,"

"What's the matter?" Ron asked.

"There's something I haven't told you."

"Is it about – " Hermione lowered her voice. "You-Know-Who?"

"Well, no."

"What is it then?"

"There's this thing I've been dreaming about all summer – No, it's not related to Vol – You-Know-Who, I think."

So, Harry related the dream to them, about the preset sequence of events, of the actions he always did, and about Claire, the girl he met. When he'd finally finished, he waited for Ron and Hermione to comment, but neither of them gave a reasonable explanation for his mysterious dream.

"I don't know, Harry. I don't understand either," Hermione said, staring at Harry blankly.

"I never thought I see the day when you did not have an answer to a question, Hermione," Ron said.

"It's just – eerie. I mean, if Claire is a real living being, and she's dreaming about it too, how could you explain meeting a person in your dreams? That kind of things are usual with ghosts, but – "

"Ghosts?" Ron asked.

"Well, when a dead person wants to tell a living one something, they can enter the living's dream and talk there. But the dead people who do that are those who do not choose to remain, those who disappear, unlike Nearly Headless Nick or Peeves,"

At Hermione's words, the thought of Sirius' death bloomed afresh in Harry's mind. But he didn't feel too bad about it now. He had complete faith that Sirius was watching him from somewhere, however cheesy it may sound. Ron, however, discussed further.

"Then, maybe that Claire's a ghost, Harry."

"No. She told me she was alive."

Just then, a voice spoke all around the train, magically magnified. The voice was somewhat wheezy, but still powerful anyway.

_Students, please stay put in your own compartments. We are about to enter the portal. It will be announced when we have passed through. Thank you and good day._

"Here we go," Hermione muttered.

In seconds, a blinding flash of light engulfed the surroundings, and then it tamed down. The train looked completely normal again, except that the outside of the windows did not show what it usually did. The green fields and little towns that they always saw on their way to Hogwarts were gone. They were replaced by swirls of color all around, ocean blue, lime green, pink, blinding white, orange.

"Whoah! Cool!" Ron said as the three of them stared outside their compartment window. Then, the door slid open, and in came Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom.

"Cool, huh?" Dean said as he sat beside Hermione.

"You three! Didn't you here? We have to stay in our compartments! What were you playing at, walking around while we're in this portal?" Hermione scolded.

"Easy, Hermione. The train's going in smoothly anyway, so it's alright," Seamus replied.

"Why's there color everywhere?" Harry asked.

"You see the swirling colors there?" Neville said. "They're encircling small balls of light. Each ball of light presents a different time or place. It's where you go through when you get in and out."

"Wow, Neville. I didn't know that," Ron said, staring at Neville in amazement.

"Well, Gran told me when she found out that we're going through a portal," Neville replied, blushing slightly at the praise.

"So that explains why there was light all over earlier!" Dean said.

The next minutes went with the five boys chatting about Bridgework, the school where they were supposed to go, while Hermione was, as usual, subdued in a thick book Harry could not read the title of.

"What if we get out of the wrong end? What if we end up in Africa or something?" Neville said after some time.

"Those driving the train should know. I mean, if the Ministry's allowed them to use a portal, they should be able enough, shouldn't they?" Ron said.

_Students are to get off the train soon after it exits the portal. Please prepare yourselves. Thank you and have a nice day._

The wheezy voice went once more. Dean, Neville, and Seamus decided to stay in the compartment for the rest of the journey. After another flash of white light, the train soon slowed down, and then stopped. They got off the train and looked around.

"Platform seven, Bridgework, South Phoenix," Ron read off a sign hanging above. Looking around, Harry saw that it was a station that belonged to the magical world only. It was a busy station, with witches and wizards everywhere. Opposite the platform from which they got off was platform eight, which had an elegant black train parked next to it and a sign above saying "Castlerest, East Dragon." Turning to a ticket booth in one corner of the station, Harry saw that they were at Gods' Central Station.

"We got on the portal on the Hogwarts track, and got off at their track! Cool!" Dean said behind Harry.

"First years here, please!" a small boy wearing black robes yelled from the other corner of the station.

"Hogwarts fifth years to here! Follow me!" a taller boy said beside him.

"Sixth years here, please!" Harry heard, so he, Ron, and Hermione went towards the boy who called. Up close, he saw that the boy was around the same build as Ron, but had brown hair and darkest brown eyes, and was wearing robes that looked like those they wore at Hogwarts. He even had a house patch on his.

The crowd of sixth years pushed on each other so that the first ones who got there were pushed to the front. Harry came face to face with the boy and saw that the patch bore the Bridgework logo. The boy smiled good-naturedly at him, and then spoke to the crowd.

"Hogwarts sixth years here! I am Student Head Simon Archer, but you can just call me Head Archer," the boy shouted through the noise of the busy station to make himself heard. A few of the Hogwarts students sniggered at "Head Archer," but the rest remained breathless, waiting for what will happen next. "I will be your guide while you are at _Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic_, and I will tell you about all you need, and want, to know. Please feel free to approach me, which I'm sure you will be able to do, for we will be spending a long time together. Follow me to Bridgework premises, where I shall introduce you to our fellow sixth year students from Bridgework, and them to you. Let us move along."

Archer turned and led them to a great oak door, which opened to a small grass-strewn path that wound its way up to big grilled iron gates. When they arrived at the front of the gates, the grills opened by themselves and let the guests in. Inside was a wide grass field, smooth and green and, Harry thought, was as large as a city itself, and farther beyond was a handsome castle, somewhat appeared like Hogwarts, but yet different. Harry had the feeling that it seemed different due to the fact that he did not know what was inside, and also maybe it was held by a different magic.

Finally, Archer turned to them again and spoke. "_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Sixth Year Students, welcome to Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic_."


	4. Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic

Here's the fourth chapter! If you can still stand the cheesy stuff, well, congratulations! You are a tough survivor! He he he! Just joking… And by the way, I finished this fic already before I posted it here in so that would explain why I don't comment about your reviews, criticism and praises (if there are any, anyway). Anyways, here's chapter 4…

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 4: Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic**

Archer led the Hogwarts sixth years into the Bridgework grounds. They walked on the smooth grass for what felt like an hour, with the castle seemingly not looming any nearer. Finally, when everyone was panting and clutching on anything to keep themselves from falling, Archer and the rest of the students stopped in front of huge stone double doors decorated with swirls of marble.

"Ah, yes. It is hard, walking all over the grounds. But once you get used to it, you won't have such a hard time," Archer said to them.

"I don't see myself getting used to _that_ kind of torture," Ron said, panting and hands on his knees.

"Don't they even have carriages here?" Hermione said, clutching a stitch at her side. Apparently, no horseless, or thestral-led, carriages were employed by Bridgewrok to take the students up the castle, unlike Hogwarts.

"I'm looking forward to a good meal here," Harry said, looking at the other sixth years with them.

"Yeah, all that walking made me starving," Seamus said behind him.

"Once again, I welcome you to Bridgework," Archer said as the stone doors slowly swung open, revealing the inside of the castle. It indeed looked a lot like Hogwarts, except for some details, like the floor, which was made of marble, and the walls, which were white and gleaming. But Harry could tell that the castle was just as old, though it seemed to have a fresher look.

"Oooh! Look, it's an inside garden!" Parvati Patil squealed somewhere behind the crowd, and everyone turned to look. To their left was a garden with beautiful flowers of all sorts, trees of bright green, and plants of all sizes. The garden was in the castle, but it seemed as though its part of the roof was enchanted to provide sunlight for the plantlife.

"Then good," a drawling voice said at the back too. "We won't have to deal with rubbish like we do in Herbology back at Hogwarts," Malfoy said.

"I see you've discovered our sunlit garden! But that's not where we hold our Herbology classes, I'm afraid. The Hogwarts teachers have sent your curriculum, what you should study about, and you are going to have the same classes as you would have had if you were in Hogwarts. But worry not. I am sure we will all have a great time with each other!" Archer beamed.

"So… Hogwarts?" a girl's voice said from above the marble staircase in front of them. Harry noticed, for the first time, that the stairs were packed with students wearing black robes patched with the Bridgework logo on the upper left. The girl who spoke stepped forward, but did not get off the stairs. She had short brown hair, and looked like somewhat like Cho Chang. "Good morning," she said in a formal voice. Everyone was now looking at her. "Welcome to Bridgework. I have been informed that you have already been familiarized to the school, so I need not talk about that I guess. I am Student Head Iris Lair. I will be one of those who will assist Student Head Simon Archer in his job to guide all of you during your stay here at Hogwarts. That's all. Again, good morning."

"Thank you, Head Lair. Have you seen where Head Ashworth is? Archer said to the girl. Hearing "Ashworth," Harry, Ron, and Hermione raised their heads. Harry suddenly became alert. He was surprised to hear that Ashworth was one of those Student Heads, who seemed to be the equivalents of Hogwarts Prefects. But on top of his surprise was anxiety. Rose Ashworth could be any of those students. Harry was waiting to meet her all through their journey.

"Not that I care, but she's up in the Potions office, in a meeting I think," Lair said in a tone that suggested irritation.

"Well, would you be so kind as to escort our fellow sixth years to the tower, and perhaps wait for Head Ashworth so that you two could start the orientation?" Archer said. What he was asking seemed impossible, as Harry could see that Lair, as much as possible, did not want anything to do with Ashworth. But the girl replied all the same.

"Well then, if work requires. Yes, I shall take them to the tower. See you later," Lair said. Archer walked up the marble staircase and disappeared in the mass of students. Lair, then, beckoned the Hogwarts students to follow her, and they did.

The Bridgework crowd parted to let them through. Lair turned to an empty left-hand corridor, and took them up a flight of another marble staircase and they found themselves in another empty corridor. Like the one in the first floor, no portraits hung here, and no statues stood.

"Yes, eerie. I know. But this is Bridgework," Lair said, turning to them. She seemed really impressed of her own school.

The Hogwarts students waited silently. Lair faced the blank wall just above the stairs and raised her wand. She pointed it at the marble ceiling.

"Pure blood," Lair spoke clearly as she raised her eyes to the ceiling. Then, the ceiling began to move. Another marble staircase, just slightly narrower than the previous ones, descended from the ceiling.

Many of the students were amazed at this, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves raising eyebrows at each other. They had heard that Bridgework was a good school, quite like Hogwarts. Surely, they were not expecting a password such as "Pure blood" here, not unless…

"You seem to be disturbed?" Iris Lair had waded through the Hogwarts crowd to get to the three of them,and she spoke rather testily. Harry was irritated. It was not like having your eyebrows raised was a crime.

"We… er…" Harry stuttered.

"You're wondering about 'pure blood,'" Lair said, facing Hermione.

"Well – yes," Hermione made a small smile.

"It's not a password," she smiled. "Everyone, please listen," she now said to the crowd as a whole. "When you step in front of the stairs, please mention if you are pure blood, half blood, or muggle-born."

She walked towards the stairs and climbed it. When she was halfway up, she waved a hand signaling that they climbed too. Students then filed all around the bottom stair and Lair went up out of sight. Harry, however, still wondered.

"Why do we have to say if we're pure blood or not?" he said, turning to Ron and Hermione.

"Yeah, even if it's not a password, it's like – discrimination. Like their sorting out people or something," Ron agreed.

"No, it's not discrimination, Mr. Weasley," The three of them wheeled around and saw Archer standing at the top of the stairs, smiling at them. Behind him was a group of around seven or eight students.

"It's not discrimination? Then, why'd you have to – How d'you know my name?" Ron said. Archer walked towards them and talked in a rather casual voice.

"The student heads have records of their batch," he said, still smiling. "And that includes you," he added cheerfully.

"Why are we in there?" Harry asked.

"Because we're going to be batchmates from now on," Hermione said, her eyes on Archer, but smiling.

"Right you are, Miss Granger," Archer said with a smile. "Now, let's all get upstairs. The orientation is about to start," Archer said. He ushered the three of them towards the stairs.

With "Pure blood" from Ron, "Muggle-born" from Hermione, "Half-blood" from Harry, and a mixed grumble of the three types of wizards from the group below, the marble staircase evaporated and the floor above it became solidly intact. Harry found himself in a room quite like the Gryffindor common room, even the colors were alike. But there was incense everywhere, with wafts of thin bluish smoke slowly drifting away from them. There were also large pieces of parchment plastered on the wall, bearing characters Harry could not determine whether Chinese or Japanese. Hermione pulled him and Ron into a small semi-circular sofa in fron of the assortment of chairs and they settled themselves on it. Hermione seemed keen to hear every detail of the orientation. Harry turned his head over to the Bridgework students who were all talking, voices hushed over the chatter. He saw Lair talking businesslike to Archer.

And then, Harry saw her; the girl he'd been seeing in his dreams, the one he met in Sirius house when he dreamt about it. She was standing right behind Archer, talking to a girl with short jet-black hair. Though her hair was in a tight, high ponytail unlike in Harry's dream where she wore her hair down, it was unmistakably her. He also noticed something different about her, or maybe he just didn't notice it in the dream. The end of the girl's hair was cherry-red, unlike the rest of it, which was jet-black as well. He nudged Ron in the ribs, quite harder than he had meant to in his excitement and surprise, and whispered.

"That's her!" Harry hissed in Ron's ear. "That's the girl I've been telling you about! Claire! The one I've been seeing in my dreams! There, behind the Archer guy!" Ron's eyes swirved to the girl's direction, and comprehension dawned over his face.

"You mean – that's the – you've been seeing – "

"Yes! Yes, it's her! Claire!" Harry turned in his seat. The girl was still deep in conversation with her companion.

"Do keep your voices down!" Hermione said, leaning across Harry to Ron.

"Hermione! It's her!" Ron now said.

"Yes, I heard what you were talking about! There's no need to yell around the place, is there?" Hermione said with a tone of impatience in her voice. "You can talk to her anytime you like, Harry. Just stay still for now, will you? I want to listen to the orientation, don't you?" she shot at them.

"Not really," Ron muttered silently, so that only Harry could hear. Harry gazed around the room, but often landed his eyes on Claire, trying his best to catch her eye, while Ron chatted with Dean and Seamus, and Hermione sat still, nervously waiting for the orientation to start.

But Claire did not seem to enjoy being host to visitors. But she did not seem bothered either. She hardly wore any expression at all. Harry continued to stare at her, when finally, she gazed rather disapprovingly at the crowd that was the Hogwartrs sixth years. Her eyes ran all around the room, and then finally, landed on Harry, who was gazing up at her rather weakly from the small sofa he and his two friends were occupying.

Harry felt like a bucket of ice-cold water spilled on top of his head as he stared right into Claire's eyes. He wanted to do something, anything, to break out of the awkward moment, but he felt as though his body froze with the ice-cold water. He thought of averting his eyes from Claire, but he though it would look rude, so he decided to smile instead. Just when he was curling his lips into a weak smile, however, a clap echoed around the room and Claire's blue eyes darted to the front.

"So, with everything settled, we shall now proceed to the orientation. We are here in the sixth years' common room," Lair, who had clapped her hands together to get the room's attention, spoke clearly so that everyone could hear.

Harry, who looked front too, turned to Claire once more, but Claire was now staring Lair, quite expressionlessly, just as before. When Lair spoke again, however, Claire's face expressed what was unmistakable disgust.

"Now, before anything else, I'm sure you all are wondering just who we, Bridgework Heads, are," Lair said, doing a smile and gazing all around the room. "First, we are Student Heads. What are Student Heads? Here is Student Head Archer to explain."

Lair moved away from the front and was replaced by an excited-looking Archer.

"Student Heads are selected students from each batch. Ten from each batch, to be precise. They supervise student activities, they report misbehavior. They propose activities for the whole school to participate in. They are the counterparts for what Hogwarts calls – ahh, yes, Prefects. Right?"

As Archer said this, he nodded to Hermione. Hermione blushed and nodded back.

"I'm gonna be sick," Ron said beside Harry.

"Now, we have ten for each batch, one of them the superior. Ten for the sixth years," he waved a hand to the group of students standing over where the marble staircase had been earlier. "The sixth year Student Heads include me, Superior Student Head Simon Rick Archer," Archer bowed. "And we have Student Head Iris Lair," Lair came to the front once more and bowed. Then, she remained standing in front. "Student Head James Anderson," a tall, blonde boy came to the front, bowed, and stood beside Lair, beaming. "Student Head Chai Han," the girl Claire was talking to earlier walked forward, bowed, and joined the first two. Harry noticed she looked like Cho as well. Harry thought that his head was not in a right state; he seemed to see Cho everywhere. Then he remembered, he was in Asia and Cho's physical traits were quite common there.

Archer then looked back at the bundle of Bridgework students, and looked pointedly at Claire, and Harry watched her. She did not move or give any sign that she noticed Archer. Archer's hand gestured as if telling Claire to move front, but she slowly shook her head. She did not want to attract much attention, Harry thought to himself. Then, Archer gave up on persuading her and settled on mentioning her name clearly.

"Student Head Rose Ashworth,"


	5. Rose Ashworth

Here's chapter 5… Umm, we haven't left the introduction of student heads yet… so, it's a kinda continuation of the scene… Here you go…

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Title: The Future is Waiting **

**Chapter 5: Rose Ashworth**

Ringing silence fell around the room when Archer spoke. Every head turned to the girl Harry was so sure was Claire. Apparently, he was wrong. He opened his mouth to ask about it, but realized he'd be causing much of an act, so he closed it again.

"Ahh, yes… The name rings a bell, doesn't it?" Archer said, smiling, amused at the Hogwarts students' reaction. Ashworth looked daggers at him however, and he drove the talk back to Student Heads. "But of course, that was not what we were talking about… Right… Yes… Er… Student Head Clive Gideon…"

Archer resumed his introduction of the Student Heads as a nerdy, small boy in glasses hurried forward. The rest of the crowd turned their eyes to the boy afterwards. Hermione, however, looked at Harry, and Harry knew he could talk now. He did not hear the rest of the Student Heads' names when he, Ron, and Hermione had put their heads together to talk noiselessly.

"I thought you said – " Hermione started, but Harry cut her short.

"I'm sure it was her!" Harry hissed.

"But – she's not. She's Rose Ashworth, Harry," Ron said quietly.

"I don't know what's going on but I'm sure it was her I saw, and she told me her name was Claire!" Harry whispered back.

"Maybe – Harry, maybe you didn't – maybe you didn't meet her in your dream after all. Maybe she wasn't dreaming of the same thing. Maybe you just imagined her – "

"Hermione, how am I supposed to imagine _her_ into my dream when I've never seen her face, ever! And where would I get the name Claire if I'd imagined it?" Harry was now trying very hard to keep his voice down.

"I – I don't know Harry…" Hermione said quietly. Harry turned to Ron.

"I don't know either… Maybe you should go ask her some time. I mean, it's the best you can do, if you want your dreams cleared out…" Ron said. He looked just as bewildered as Harry.

"And what is he supposed to say?" Hermione looked nastily at Ron. "'_Hi, Ashworth! I was just wondering, have you been dreaming about me? Because I _have_ been dreaming about you,_'"

Now that Hermione had said it, the idea of stepping up to Ashworth to ask her if she'd been dreaming about Harry seemed rather ridiculous. He thought that Ashworth might even think that he was an attention-seeking little boy if he did this. But however preposterous his worry was, Harry could not help but wonder how he dreamt of Ashworth.

Could it be that he was again seeing through another person's vision, just as he did before? Was it possible that Voldemort was the one who was in the dream? _But _that's ridiculous, he thought. Lord Voldemort would not be in Sirius' house. And he certainly would not be hugging a teenage girl. But the question of how he dreamt about Ashworth lingered on in his mind.

This kept him preoccupied for the next few days. He was thinking of nothing else for two days straight. On Wednesday morning, however, he was called back to his senses by the arrival of owl posts in the sixth years' common room.

"Harry! Ron! Look!" Hermione said, waving a blank white envelope at them.

­"Who's it from?" Ron said quietly as they approached her. Hermione was sitting on a wooden chair near the fire, while Ron and Harry were just coming down from the boys' dormitory at the left side of the fireplace in the common room.

"Do you think it's from – " Harry lowered his voice so that no one could hear. "the Order?"

"Well, who else?" Hermione said silently as well. The two pulled chairs closer so that all three of them could read.

_Ron, Harry, and Hermione,_

_This letter is just to assure you that everything is all right. I will not say anything else, just in case this goes into the wrong hands. Though with the Ministry on our side, it is still not safe. Just don't do anything harsh while you are there. Keep your heads down. Don't worry anymore._

Bill 

"He wrote us just to tell us to keep our heads down?" Ron said, insulted. "Honestly, do they really think we're not trustworthy?"

"Well, if I was in their place, I would have thought so too," Hermione said, folding up Bill's letter. "I mean, with all the stuff we've done before, what would they expect?" she added, seeing the angry look on Ron's face.

"But that letter did not tell us anything at all. 'Everything's all right.' Like we don't know how dangerous it is," Harry said, staring into the fire.

"We know what to do anyway. _Keep our heads down_," said Hermione darkly.

"We don't have anything to do yet! I mean, nothing's happened here at Bridgework, right?" Ron said.

"I wonder if Ginny's received a letter too," said Hermione, placing the letter in her pocket.

"Gather 'round, everyone!" Lair was standing at the bottom-most stair of the girls' dormitory at the right side of the fire. She walked to the center of the room and clapped her hands like she did on the Hogwarts students' first day to get their attention. "I have here your schedules, your classes. Please form a line in front of me and sign your name on this piece of paper. This is to make sure that you all have taken your schedules."

People rushed to get to the front of the line. Harry, Ron, and Hermione managed to get to somewhere in the middle. The line shortened as the schedules in Lair's hand thinned. Finally, Harry was in front of Lair.

"Harry Potter," said Lair quietly. Harry stared at her in surprise. "Of course you are famous even here, don't stare at me like that."

"Sorry," Harry said as he stepped aside for Ron to sign.

"Have you met Ashworth, then?" Lair suddenly asked.

"What?" said Harry. Ron, too, looked at Lair in surprise, when he'd finished signing. Hermione was now bent down on the paper.

"Ashworth," Lair said pointedly. "I expect you know _her_ story?"

"Oh… Er, yeah… I've heard…" Harry said.

"_Heard?_ You've _heard_? Are you saying you haven't _met_ her in any way?" Lair asked disbelievingly.

"Er, no…" Harry replied. Hermione was now hovering behind him too.

"Good, then," said Lair, turning back to the paper the students were signing, smiling.

"What's good?" asked Ron.

"Oh, nothing," said Lair, but she continued to smile in the same fashion as though gleeful at something illegal.

Harry was just beginning to wonder what Lair was smiling about when Hermione caught her attention by pinching him hard in the back.

"What?" he said loudly.

"_Shh!_" Hermione placed a finger to her lips, then hidingly pointed it at the foot of the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Rose Ashworth, wearing black robes and her hair in a tight, high ponytail as yesterday, was standing at the foot of the stairs, reading a piece of parchment.

"Ashworth!" Lair called across the room. Rose looked at her with the same coldness she had when she looked at Harry. "You've found your schedule then? Come here, you need to sign this too."

Harry had the feeling Lair was cooking something up. And true enough, when Rose walked rather slowly to her to sign the Student Heads' signature of approval in the corner of the parchment, which Harry himself had signed, Lair spoke with a definite hidden agenda in her voice.

"Ashworth, I want you to meet Harry Potter. I assume you know all about _him_?" Lair said. Rose froze in the act of raising the quill on the parchment, and then straightened to face Lair as though Harry and the others were not there.

"Not exactly _all_."

Rose spoke exactly in the same way as Claire did in Harry's dream that Harry was starting to wonder whether she had lied about her name.

"Well, we all don't know everything, do we?" Lair spoke slowly. "For one, there's the mystery of how you both survived You-Know-Who," she looked at Harry as she spoke.

"You know very well that my survival is not a mystery, as your family was the one who told me what happened," Rose replied, still ignoring Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Ah, well… The pleasure is ours, then. But really, you need not thank me," Lair now spoke in a cheerful voice that, if made just a little bit more cheery, would have sounded like Umbridge's falsely sweet girlish voice. "because our families are friends… Or, have been friends. Sorry," Lair smiled carelessly over her shoulder as she bent down to pick up the parchment. Everyone had finished signing now.

Harry knew what Lair was doing, and he didn't like it. Though he wasn't sure if the Ashworths and the Lairs really had been family friends, he was quite sure Lair was trying to make fun of Rose's parents' death. Weird though, Harry thought, Rose did not seem to be bothered by this. She just stared at Lair coldly, no expression present on her face, not even boredom.

"But why are we talking about this? I was telling you about Harry Potter here!" Lair said in an obviously false laugh this time. Harry did not know whether to cut in or to wait for Rose to answer Lair, but both he and Rose were spared the action by Lair. "Ah, look! Another family friend!" she said viciously, pointing at Malfoy, who had just swept over to Rose's side.

"Family friend? What are you on about?" Malfoy said with a laugh. "Rose, I was wondering whether you could lead me to the dining hall? I would _love_ to eat breakfast with you," he said loudly, as though making sure Harry, Ron, and Hermione could hear.

"Only trolls won't be able to find a great dining hall without guides," Ron said, turning his back on Malfoy.

"Watch that mouth, Weasley. You're not in your territory anymore," Malfoy said, grabbing Ron's shoulder and turning him.

Rose's cold blue eyes were upon Malfoy now, who had turned back to her, Ron mouthing silently behind him.

"So, shall we go down to breakfast together?" Malfoy said, offering an arm to Rose. Lair was watching them with an expression of, strangely, satisfaction.

"I'm afraid I have more important business to deal with than breakfast, Mr. Malfoy," Rose said coldly, her eyes still on Malfoy's grey ones, as though trying to see through them. At Rose's answer, Ron smiled and said "Ha!" under his breath. Malfoy did not lose his gracious manner, however.

"Ah, Rose… Haven't I told you not to call me 'Mr. Malfoy'? It's _Draco_, all right? And, more important than breakfast? You need to eat if you're going to work all day!" said Malfoy.

"Concerned as you are about my health, Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid your concern will not convince me to leave my work undone, and moreover, to join you," Rose said coolly.

Harry did not know if he'd imagined it out of too much hatred at Malfoy but he thought Rose purposefully turned him down to embarrass him in front of many people. Right after speaking, Rose turned and went down the marble stairs, still clutching the paper she was reading when she came down from the dormitory, then disappeared from view. Harry just could not help but smile.


	6. Rumor and Reason

Chapter 6 here… Umm, just read on…

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 6: Rumor and Reason**

The next time Harry saw Rose was after lunch, at an orientation about the grading system at Bridgework. All the sixth years were there and, to Harry's discomfort, the seventh years as well, including Cho.

Rose led the seventh years into the room where the sixth years were waiting; it was a room much like the one they had in History of Magic back at Hogwarts, though less boring. The sixth years were seated at the left side, and Rose gestured the seventh years to sit at the right. Harry watched around the room, sitting in front between Ron and Hermione.

When Rose had finished ushering the seventh years into their seats, she sat among the other Student Heads who were in front, just across the aisle.

"Settle down, settle down," a woman's voice echoed around the room.

If it had not sounded like a woman, Harry would have thought it was Dumbledore that had spoken. The chatter that was buzzing around slowly died down, and the person that had spoken swept down the aisle.

"I am Professor Zelda Eugene," she said in the same voice.

She looked intently around the room, and landed her eyes on Harry. She smiled at him kindly, and Harry had no choice but to smile back. Looking at her closely, Harry thought she looked like a smaller version of Madame Maxime. She took her eyes off Harry and turned them upon the whole of the room and spoke once more.

"I am the headmistress of Bridgework Academy of Eastern Magic. Now, do not get me wrong. I am very pleased to have visitors in this school, very interesting indeed," she said gracefully. "However, even if I want my visitors to have an exceptionally pleasurable time here, I am still a teacher. Your instructors back at Hogwarts have told me that you will receive the same education here as you would have obtained were you located there. Only, the Bridgework grading system will be followed since it is _our_ teachers who will be meeting you."

Low murmurs began at her words again.

"Now, honestly, do you want to know about the educational and grading systems here in Bridgework? Please raise your hands if you don't. There's no need to be shy. No harm will be done."

She spoke with a smile on her face, so the Hogwarts students took it as a guarantee that it was all right to speak their minds. Almost everybody raised their hands, including Harry. Professor Eugene gave a soft laugh.

"As expected… Well then, there is no need for this meeting at all!" she smiled good-naturedly again. "I shall pride myself in having saved my guests from a rather boring assembly, shall not I?" she said.

The Student Heads rose as one, and started scattering around the room, preparing to lead the students out of the room.

"Miss Ashworth, could I have a word please," Professor Eugene said quietly, so that only the people in front were able to hear. Rose was already in front of the aisle, but she turned back and sat down again.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already filing out of their desk when Professor Eugene spoke once more.

"Mr. Potter, perhaps you could remain? Just for a minute," she said.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked blankly back at him, but Hermione mouthed a silent "Go!" at him. He turned and faced Professor Eugene who was staring at him intently again. He sat down on the edge of the desk where he sat earlier. Professor Eugene waited for all of the students to walk out of the room before she spoke again.

"Perhaps a little company would not hurt?" she said. Harry did not understand what she meant, but the classroom door creaked open and in came Professor McGonagall.

Even with Professor McGonagall's arrival, Harry did not have the slightest inkling what this was supposed to be about. He chanced a glance at Rose, who seemed to be wondering along the same lines too. But unlike Harry, she was not staring all around the room or glancing up and down the teachers. She was just sitting quietly, head bowed, and occasionally looking at Professors Eugene and McGonagall.

When McGonagall had finally walked the length of the aisle and had settled herself in a high-back wooden chair that she had conjured with her wand, Eugene spoke again.

"Minerva, do you know where Severus is?" Eugene asked.

"He said he would just be following me here. I think he is busy at the moment, Zelda, though I am sure he would not let a visit here pass," McGonagall replied, glancing sideways at Rose, who had risen her head to look at McGonagall too.

"Now, I'm not sure if you are wondering why we summoned the both of you here," Eugene spoke again. "As I'm sure that you've heard about each others' stories."

Harry looked sideways at Rose. She was looking back.

"With all due respect, Professor. If this is about all that we've talked about a week ago, I'm afraid I will only be as spirited as I was then," Rose said, turning back to Professor Eugene. Harry found a little emotion in her voice now, unlike when she spoke earlier that day in the sixth years' common room. However, her voice seemed to be filled with fear and, weird as it seems, she seemed to be on the verge of tears as well.

"Ashworth, we have indeed talked about this and I have told you that even if we are not sure, the best thing to do is to try," Eugene said in a calm tone. Harry did not understand any of this. He was just about to turn to McGonagall and ask her when she spoke.

"Zelda, perhaps I should tell Potter about this before we start discussing things, shouldn't I?" said McGonagall.

"Yes, of course."

"Well then, Potter. Listen to me carefully. You have heard, of course, that Ashworth here, like you, had survived You-Know-Who?" McGonagall said, eyeing Harry. Harry nodded. "You have heard that you are rumored to be destined to defeat You-Know-Who together?" she said. Harry, this time, shook his head. "You have not?" she asked sharply, as though she did not believe him.

"No, Professor," he spoke, though his mouth had gone dry.

"Very well… I will explain…" McGonagall said with a sigh. Eugene sat behind her desk in front of the room. "Potter, you both survived You-Know-Who. However, even before Ashworth was born, a controversial prophecy was made about the Ashworths, and most probably, about her. Now, a very few people know what that prophecy was all about, owing to the fact that the prophecy was lost. Naturally, people hypothesized about it.

"Based upon some quite reliable evidence, one of the hypotheses states that the prophecy contains how one Ashworth will come to defeat You-Know-Who. It recites that a survivor from the Ashworths will meet another survivor and together, they will defeat You-Know-Who.

"You get the gist, don't you, Potter?" McGonagall finished in a rather irritable manner. "You _know_ that there's no other survivor that Ashworth could meet but you?" Harry nodded nervously.

He was starting to feel nervous, but also ridiculous. If he was getting things right, McGonagall and Eugene were trying, probably on the Order's plan, to act based on a theory.

"Now, we have to work out, one way or another, how you two can defeat the Dark Lord," Professor Eugene said.

"But – No offense but – You're saying that… All this is based on only a rumor?" Harry said, rather lost.

"If I may speak, Professors," Rose said quietly. McGonagall nodded and Eugene smiled. "I have said it once, and my opinion will never waver. Just as – he had said, you are telling us to act on a rumor, an unbased guess," Rose said in the same quietly fearful voice.

"Ashworth… It is not at all unbased! You know very well – "

"I do not intend to be dramatic, but I can say that life has been hard for me. And if my guess is correct, the same goes for _him_ – Potter, I mean. And finding out about this – theory – certainly does _not_ make it any lighter," Ashworth said more quietly. It seemed as though she was fighting to keep her voice straight.

"There you are. Then, you've finally spoken your mind! You would not tell me why you opposed to this idea," Eugene said, ignoring Rose's now watery eyes.

Just then, the door of the classroom swung open once more. Snape swept inside quickly, much to Harry's dismay. His eyes landed momentarily on Harry. When he reached the front of the room where McGonagall sat, Rose stood from her desk and hugged him. Snape patted her back consolingly. Harry stared, bewildered. Snape turned his eyes on Harry once more and looked at him threateningly.

"I think today's talk is enough, Zelda, Minerva," Snape said, shifting his eyes from Harry to the two teachers. Rose straightened up and was staring at the floor.

"Very well," Professor Eugene said, getting up from behind her desk. "Mr. Potter, Miss Ashworth, please proceed to your next class. Your next teacher shall know why you two were delayed, do not worry."

"Off you go then, Potter," McGonagall snapped.

"I'll see you later," Snape said to Rose, who was picking up her bag from under her seat.

"And, Ashworth, do show Potter where your next class is," McGonagall said just when both Rose and Harry reached the door.


	7. Defense and Punishment Doors

Hi! Er, next chapter here… 7th, I think…

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* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 7: Defense and Punishment Doors**

Rose was the first to get out of the room. When Harry had shut the door behind him, he found Rose waiting for him.

"Er…" said Harry, unable to think of something to say. Rose started to walk down another blank corridor, Harry walking nervously beside her. "So… What's our next class?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Rose shortly without looking at Harry. She just continued to stare down the corridor as they made their progress.

"Er, who's our teacher?" Harry added.

"Yamamoto-sensei."

"Sorry?"

"Professor Shinha Yamamoto. But she prefers to be called Yamamoto-sensei. She's Japanese. 'Sensei' is Japanese for something like 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'."

"Oh…" Harry ran out of things to ask about. He remained silent for a couple of minutes, still walking along the long, blank corridor when Rose spoke.

"I heard you were good at Defense," she said, now with a hint of interest in her voice.

"What? Oh… well, not really," Harry said.

"Lupin told me," she added.

"You know Lupin?" Harry said, quite surprised.

"A little," she said shortly again.

"How do you know him? I mean, where did you meet?" Harry asked eagerly.

"My mother's friend," she replied.

Just then, Rose stopped in front of a handsome looking brown, wooden door Harry had not noticed they were approaching. She knocked on it three times, and it opened by itself, revealing a classroom that looked very much like one in a Muggle school. Harry was amazed yet stupefied how a Muggle classroom could have been lost inside Bridgework.

"Do you want to move or not?" he heard a girl whisper to him. He was called back to his senses, and Rose pulled him into the room. The brown door closed of its own accord.

"Ah, yes…" came a wheezy woman's voice.

"Konnichiwa, Yamamoto-sensei," Rose said in fluent Japanese, bowing. As she did so, Harry felt a tug on his robe's sleeve and realized that he had to bow too.

"Good afternoon as well, Miss Ashworth," said a woman with long frizzy hair and a thin face in robes of deep purple. "I see you have brought Mr. Potter with you."

Murmurs broke out again at Yamamoto's words, but Yamamoto did not seem to mind.

"Miss Ashworth, Mr. Potter, take your seats beside Mr. Malfoy," Yamamoto said. Harry stared. Perhaps this was their punishment for being late? "You will find that I have already grouped you, as we always do here in Bridgework. The groupings are by threes and the three of you will spend the rest of the year studying together in every subject, and basically sitting side by side in every class. As you have been delayed, I must inform you, you two are in the same group and your other groupmate is Mr. Malfoy. Well then, on to our lesson."

Harry thought the idea of being grouped with Malfoy for the rest of he year was downright revolting, but having someone "neutral" in the group seemed to lighten it up a bit. Rose simply refused to take sides when Malfoy defiantly asked her at the end of the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson who she thought was better company.

"Isn't Potter a bit of an idiot?" Malfoy said as the three of them walked out of the Muggle classroom.

"A bit? No. Are you?" she simply said, turning to Harry. Harry, however, was too appalled to speak. "Well, there you are," she turned back to Malfoy. "He's no idiot. He's just _shy_."

Malfoy remained quiet for the next minutes, but Harry could have sworn he heard Malfoy muttering his name and cursing under his breath.

They headed to the library to immediately research for their homework in Defense Against the Dark Arts: a three-foot long essay on Oriental magical defense.

"Erm, why do they have to divide the batch into groups?" Harry asked when they finally reached the corridor where the library was located.

"It's not only this batch. Every batch in Bridgework is broken up into groups of three. They say that it's a studying system. Honestly, it's no use," said Rose. Harry gave a small snort of laughter but Malfoy remained quiet. Harry was under the impression he was still thinking of something to say to convince Rose that Harry was an idiot.

"Oriental magic… Oriental magic…" Rose muttered under her breath, walking sideways facing the books along the aisle.

She was looking for books that would help them on their homework. Harry and Malfoy, excusing that they were not yet familiar with the place, sat on a table at the end of the same aisle.

"Does Invisibility count as defense?" said Rose, approaching the table and laying down a maroon hardbound book entitled "Intermediate Defense: A Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts for Seventh Years."

"Er…" Harry said. Malfoy, who was sitting across the table, continued to glare at Harry.

"Yeah, it does," said Rose, answering her own question. "It says here."

"Er… What's the difference between Oriental magic and the magic we do at Hogwarts anyway?" Harry said.

"What? Difference?" Rose said, distracted by the book. She took her eyes off it and looked at Harry as she spoke. "Well, for one, Western magic mostly involves the wand. I mean, you could do everything with it, can't you?

"Oriental magic is a whole lot different. That's not really obvious with Bridgework because it's kind of Western. Oriental magic does not require a wand. It involves your belief that you can make something happen. So, if a Muggle has great conviction that he can do magic, he really can. Basically, Oriental magic is easier to understand. It's easier to do, yet enormously powerful."

"So, Oriental wizards don't use wands?" Harry asked. He noticed Malfoy scowling at him.

"No. I know the school nearest here has students as many as Hogwarts holds but not one of them has a wand," said Rose.

"Where are we anyway?" Harry suddenly asked. He did not quite know where Bridgework was actually located.

"We're in Japan," Rose said, smiling slightly. Malfoy's scowl became more pronounced.

"Japan?"

"Just as Hogwarts is hidden in Britain, isn't it?" said Rose. At this, she got up and went down the aisle once more, replaced the _Intermediate Defense_ and went to look for another book.

"_What is your problem?_" Harry said through gritted teeth as Malfoy continued to scowl at him.

"I'll tell you what my problem is," Malfoy said in a bare whisper. "You fancy her, don't you?" he said through narrowed eyes. "You think it's easy, chatting around, trying to get close?"

"_What!_" Harry said in a whisper as well.

"You – don't – know – _who – she – is_," Malfoy said, stressing every word. "I've known her longer than you have – like, for years. You understand?" he added, leaning in on the table closer to Harry.

"And your point is?" Harry said, leaning as well.

"You can't have her!" Malfoy said in a faint hiss. Just then, Rose approached the table with a big black book this time.

"You don't like each other, do you?" Rose said, looking at Harry's and Malfoy's angry faces leaning across the table. Harry leaned back on his chair. Malfoy did the same, but the angry look on his face did not vanish. "Listen, I don't care if you want to kill each other. At least try to get past this first homework, okay?"

"Erm, yeah…" Harry said.

Rose jotted down important facts about Oriental magic and told Harry and Malfoy to rewrite them while they were still in the library. However Harry tried to do so, he felt Malfoy's glare at his head when he bowed it, so he can't write properly. They sat all their library session scowling at each other.

"Give me that," Rose said, finally irritated. She snatched the papers on which she wrote stuff for their homework and decided to rewrite it herself.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry, Rose, and Malfoy were walking to the sixth years' common room, Malfoy talking nonstop to Rose, gloating about himself.

"Listen, does your father know you're _this_ talkative at school?" Rose said, stopping in her tracks and turning to Malfoy.

"What?"

"When you're in front of your father, and your mother anyway, you're all quiet," Rose said in a casual tone. Harry found it amusing; she was embarrassing Malfoy once more.

"I – well, I – What are you smirking at?" Malfoy yelled at Harry.

"I'm not smirking," Harry said, fighting to keep his face straight.

"I'll – I'll see you in the morning, Rose," Malfoy said, hurrying off ahead. When he had turned the corner of the corridor, Harry broke into a fit of laughter, unaware of anything else.

"Ha – ha – Did you see his face?" he said in between laughs. He leaned sideways onto the blank wall, weakened by laughter, when he realized Rose was laughing too.

"Never fails – that one – really – ha ha – effective – " said Rose. She, too, was apparently happy to see Malfoy disconcerted like that. "Oh – no! Don't – lean on that!" she said, pulling Harry away from the wall, which did not appear to be blank anymore. The part of the wall where Harry had swayed onto now had a small black wooden door that looked oddly sinister, set along the elegant hallway.

"What – How'd that appear there?" Harry said, overcoming his laughter and suddenly becoming slightly panicky.

"_This_," said Rose, tapping the door with her wand. "is why you should never let down your guard."

"What? Why?" Harry said, staring at the door. For a moment, he thought Rose tapped it for nothing, then the door began to grow pale, until it became invisible. "How'd that happen?"

"That's one of the Punishment Doors."

"Punishment Doors?"

"Students are not supposed to loiter around the corridors – these blank corridors anyway. When you fall into one of those, or if the people behind it catch you when they occasionally open the door, you'll be given detention. It' more like relying on luck, honestly,"

"You'd be given detention just because you were seen walking down the corridor?" Harry said incredulously.

"That's the thrill of studying here. You never know what'll happen," Rose replied, smiling. "Much like the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, isn't it?"

"You've been to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Of course I have!" said Rose. "Loads of times! Anyway," she said, placing her hand in Harry's. "Let's go, before that door opens and throws us in detention!" she said smiling. She then pulled on Harry's hand and they ran the length of the corridor, laughing.

"Wait, there are corridors here that aren't blank?" Harry asked when they finally reached the bottom of the marble staircase that led to the sixth years' common room.

"Yeah, a few," said Rose, looking up at the stairs. Harry looked up just in time to see Hermione and Ron coming down.

"Hey," Ron said stiffly, as though fighting an outburst of emotion.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said, her eyes stared at Harry, then traveled down his arms, to his hands, which, Harry realized a second too late, was still clutching Rose's tightly. Horrified, he suddenly let go of Rose's hand as though it was something hot.

"Erm, thanks," Rose muttered, massaging her hand.

"So, had a good study?" Ron said in the same stiff voice. Harry thought Ron's mind was off the subject because, knowing Ron, he would not asked if Harry had a good study given that he was grouped with Malfoy. But then, Harry realized another horrifying thing; Ron was trying to taunt him about Rose.

"Er, not really… With Malfoy? Not a chance…" Harry answered defiantly. "Er, Ron, Hermione, this is… er…"

"Rose," said Rose, looking up at Hermione and Ron.

"Right. And this is Hermione and Ron," Harry continued. Rose reached out a hand and shook Hermione's and Ron's.

"See you tomorrow then," said Rose, climbing up the first step of the marble stairs.

"Aren't you going to dinner?" Harry asked.

"I still have a lot to do. I'll be going down later. Thanks," and she started walking up. "Oh, Harry," she said, turning around. "Would you do tomorrow's essay? I mean, I've done tonight's. And then, Malfoy can do the next day's,"

"All right," Harry nodded. Rose walked on and disappeared from view. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked towards the dining hall.

"_Oh, Harry_," Ron said in a shrill voice while they were walking. "She your new girlfriend or something?"

"_Shut – up_," Harry said, staring down the hallway.

"No, serious. Have you replaced Cho Chang?" Ron asked.

"You call that serious?" Harry said to Hermione. Hermione smiled.

"Don't be so nasty, Ron. Rose Ashworth's not bad," Hermione said. "I mean, we thought she was a little spoiled brat but –"

"It was only you who thought that!" Harry and Ron said together.

"Okay, okay. Well, I thought she was one, but now I see that she can get along quite well with Harry so that's okay –"

"Would you quit the 'getting along quite well' thing? It's not like we're in a relationship or something –"

"Well, there you go! _That_ didn't come from us! You were obviously thinking along those lines!" Ron laughed.

"I wasn't –"

"Don't try to worm your way out of it! You fancy her!"

"I don't –"

"Honestly, Harry. I don't know if she's better than Cho, but overall, she'd be good for you," Hermione said.

"What do you mean good for me?" said Harry irritatedly as they entered the dining hall.

"Well, I think, if you'd go into a relationship, you'd understand each other better since, you're both – both – well, you have the same story," Hermione said quietly. Harry remained silent. Ron broke into hysterical laughter.

Harry simply could not understand what he was feeling at the moment. He felt happy that he'd been on speaking terms with Rose Ashworth; she even told him to call her by her first name. He also felt viciously pleased that Rose also enjoyed embarrassing Malfoy. He delighted in the afternoon that he was chatting with Rose, and the memory of Malfoy scowling as he enjoyed his conversation just added the fun of it. Then, he snorted into his dinner as he imagined what Malfoy's face would look like if he found out that he, Harry, had run the length of two corridors hand in hand with Rose. Harry could not remember any other time when he'd felt so elated, so at peace with the world.

Maybe, just maybe, maybe Hermione was right. Maybe what he needed was someone who'd understand all his emotions, his worries, someone who was actually in the same position as him. But still, Harry wondered, he did not know what he really felt for Rose Ashworth at the moment.


	8. The Ashworth Tradition

Hi! Chapter 8 here!

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 8: The Ashworth Tradition**

Several weeks later, Harry found an unpleasant surprise at the dining hall at breakfast.

"What is _he_ doing here? He just got out of Azkaban because the dementors quit their job, and he thinks he's welcome?" Hermione hissed into her porridge. Lucius Malfoy had just walked up the marble front steps of the Bridgework castle.

"Probably nosing around, you know him," Ron said, scowling at the figure far away. "And look, his little boy's running up to see him."

For Draco Malfoy had just stood up from one of the circular tables that scattered the hall. He walked towards his father, looking around.

"What's he trying to do? Boast about his dad?" Ron said irritably.

"Y'know what? I think Lucius Malfoy's here to nose around what we're doing. I mean, we were sent here to get away from Voldemort, weren't we?" Harry said as Ron whinced.

"What? He's feeding You-Know-Who on where we are? You-Know-Who's gonna try and come here?" Ron said.

"That could be," Hermione said. "Wait – He's coming in!"

Lucius Malfoy followed his son, who had entered the mass of tables. They stopped at one near the middle, and Lucius Malfoy bowed low.

"Who're they talking to?" Ron said, craning his neck for a better view. "Aah, I can't see… Hey, isn't that Lair coming up?"

Iris Lair was marching past tables and stopped in front of Draco, who was busy watching his father talking to someone who was sitting. Lair greeted Lucius Malfoy, and he straightened up and greeted Lair as well. They engaged in a conversation, then the person Lucius Malfoy was talking to stood up.

"Hey! Isn't that…? Isn't that…" Ron said.

"Rose," said Hermione in a hushed voice.

Lucius Malfoy bowed low again, and Rose left him bowing. Harry could see Lair glaring at her back as she walked away from the table. She entered a corridor and disappeared from view.

Harry found Rose and Malfoy sitting quietly at Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon when lesson had not yet started. Then, Malfoy excused himself to Rose, saying that he was going to the bathroom. Harry seized the opportunity to ask.

"You didn't tell me you knew Malfoy's dad," he said quietly.

"What? Oh… Is it important?" Rose said. This made Harry smile. "What?"

"Well, I thought you were, like, close to them or something," Harry explained.

"You heard Lair before. Her nagging about _family friends_. The Ashworths and the Malfoys were family friends. So now I'm forced to fake smiles at the Malfoys as I'm the only Ashworth left," Rose said. "And I can't try to ignore them because my great-great-grandparents were foolish enough to bind the two families with an _everlasting promise of friendship_, so take off that scowl."

"'Everlasting Promise of Friendship'?"

"Ancient magic. Unbreakable. Made to doom me."

"There must be some way out of it," Harry said.

"None. None at all. When I first met the Malfoys, I was about five then, I read a whole library of books trying to find a countercharm. I spent six years on that. When I was eleven, I gave up the research since I was already going to Bridgework. I couldn't have unlimited free time then,"

"So, you're bound to the Lairs as well?"

"Yeah. I don't think there's any Seer blood in the Ashworths, or they might've realized they'll be giving their last descendant demented family friends for family substitutes," she said casually.

Harry fell silent. He'd never talked about his parents this was, as though it did not matter to him. He had always felt that the topic of his parents' death was delicate that he discussed it only with the people he thought would understand. But then, maybe Rose thought he'd understand her talking about his family. They suffered the same fate, anyway. But he still thought Rose was really brave, talking like that.

"You think that's already awful enough?" Rose said after a while.

"Why?"

"You haven't heard anything yet. There are a lot of other hideous traditions the Ashworths follow. I learned about them from the servants. Honestly, I'm glad their gone, or they'd have forced me into following those traditions as well."

Harry fell silent once more. He realized that Rose was not so much of brave; it was more like Sirius' case. She did not like her family, that's why she'd glad they're gone.

"I must sound like the black sheep now, right?" Rose said.

"What?"

"I don't blame you for thinking that way. I mean, everyone thinks my family sacrificed themselves for me to live, and now I talk badly about them."

"Well, yeah…"

"But that's the problem. I don't want to sound ungrateful as well, but they did not exactly give their lives to save me. Maybe they didn't even know if anyone was watching over me at the time Voldemort came…"

"Please take your seats, everyone…" came Yamamoto's wheezy voice before Harry could respond. Rose seemed to notice the uneasy look on Harry's face.

"Listen, I don't know what you're thinking. But don't feel sorry for me. And please don't think that I am ungrateful –"

"Is everyone here already?" Yamamoto said in front of the class just as Malfoy sat back down beside Rose.

"Save your questions for later, but I promise I'll tell you everything you want to know. _Please, Harry_, please don't think like everyone else does…"

"Today, we will start on lessons about Defensive Spells in both Oriental and Western wizardry. Now, defense varies in many ways, and adding the diversity in classification of Oriental and Western, we may find ourselves lost in this assortment. Therefore, in this lesson, we will identify similar defenses in Oriental and Western classification, so as to narrow down the selection, at the same time save energy. Also, in this lesson, we will…"

But Harry did not hear what else they would do in the lesson about Oriental and Western Defensive Spells. His mind was swimming in a pool of shocking, enlightening thoughts and facts. He wasn't realizing anything, yet he thought that the things he found out meant a lot. Maybe, if he talked it over with Ron and Hermione that night, it would start making sense. Maybe Hermione, as always, would be able to think up an explanation to everything.

But Harry failed to talk to them, for they were nowhere to be found that night. He sat down by the fire in the sixth years' common room with one question waiting to be answered. _Why did Voldemort want to kill the Ashworths?_ Harry was not sure whether he'd have the guts to ask Rose about this, and he had not even decided whether he really would ask, when Rose turned up.

"Where're Ron and Hermione?" Rose asked, sitting opposite Harry. The common room was quite empty, so they could sit anywhere they want.

"Dunno… Can't find them anywhere…" Harry said, pulling up a piece of thread from the carpet and throwing it into the fire.

He was waiting for Rose to ask another question, something like "How was the homework?" but nothing came. When he looked up, he saw Rose staring into the fire, but not really seeing it.

"The Ashworths had another tradition of passing all their powers to the youngest of next generation. 'Their powers' mean the ancient powers the Ashworths have. Protection from enemies, powerful assault… You can live even if it was all you had.

"They had a policy, one child for each family. My father had two sisters and many other cousins. They had children, thus the next generation. But among that most recent generation of Ashworths, I was the last to be born. I was the youngest, so the powers were given to me.

"My grand parents did not want me to have those powers, but they had to follow their own rules. They gave in."

"Why didn't they want to give you the powers?" Harry asked.

"They doubted my mother. They thought she was seeing someone else. They thought she was betraying my father. Of course, I never knew if it was true. Not even Severus would tell me – "

"Severus? Snape?"

"Er, yeah…"

"Why – What does he have to do with – " Harry started, then he remembered Rose turning to Snape for comfort during their, Harry's and Rose's first official encounter, the day when Eugene and McGonagall told them about the theory on how to defeat Voldemort.

"Severus is my godfather, Harry," said Rose.

"God – father?" Harry said, horrified. Who would want Snape as their godfather?

"I've heard that you weren't exactly on the best of terms with Severus, but really, he's a nice person – "

"I don't know much of nice, to be honest," said Harry. He realized a second later, terrified, that this might offend Rose, but he was even more surprised to see Rose smiling, as though close to laughter.

"Well, he's not exactly the person who'd give you chocolates and mints on Valentine's Day," Rose said, laughing. "But if you get on the right side of things, he's okay."

"I don't think getting on the right side of things will ever work for me,"

"Well, if he doesn't like you, and you don't like him, that will absolutely get you nowhere," said Rose. "But I'm not trying to say that you should try and please him at all times, especially when you really don't want to – " she added quickly, seeing a scowl on Harry's face. " – and not exactly when the person does not want to be pleased. But you _should_ try and work things out. I mean, _you're both on the good side_."

"Snape hates my dad, and he hates me too," Harry said dismissively.

"Why does he hate your dad?"

"They hated each other ever since school."

"Hang on… Of course! Your father! James Potter? Lily Evans' husband?" Rose said, her face lighting up.

"Er, yeah… Why?"

"Have you ever heard of Regina Wendlin?" asked Rose.

"No."

"No, I suppose not… Well…"

"Why?"

"Well, Lily Evans was my mother's best friend… Regina Wendlin."

"Are you sure?" Harry said, politely surprised.

"That's what the servants told me, and when I asked Severus about it, he told me the same story," Rose replied.

That night, Harry could barely sleep. His mind was now full with answers, he thought. He realized that, Rose saying that it contained protection, the reason why Rose survived Voldemort could be because of the ancient Ashworth powers that were passed on to her. He also felt happy to learn about her mother's best friend this time, Regina Wendlin. And the best part, he thought to himself, was that he had met his mother's best friend's daughter, Rose. He could ask her anytime how her mother was like, and since they were best friends, maybe her mother was a lot like his. But then, Harry realized, Rose had never known what her mother was like as well. Another surge of hatred at Voldemort coursed through Harry. It was his fault many families were destroyed, and now many are still suffering. Hating Voldemort, Harry fell asleep.

He was leaning against a stretch of wall beside many windows. He was looking all around the room. He was again in Sirius' house. He was seeing this dream again, the one he'd been seeing in Privet Drive. Then, he saw her again; Claire. He had to ask her name again. Just to be sure.

"Harry," Sirius suddenly said. He had just opened his mouth to ask Claire when Sirius reached Harry, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Is that really you?" Harry asked, staring into Sirius' face. Sirius nodded with a smile.

"Claire!" cried the woman Sirius was holding a moment earlier. She bent down and hugged Claire. Claire did not answer. It appeared to Harry as though she did not know the woman, nor did she care.

"Wh – where are we?" Harry asked, turning to Sirius.

"We're in my house," Sirius answered.

"I know this is your house. I mean, I'm dreaming, right? Why am I dreaming of this? What's happening?" Harry said.

"I thought you'd be able to know that by now," Sirius said.

"What?"

"Why are you here?" Harry heard Claire's voice.

He turned and saw that the woman had let go of Claire and was now standing straight. Harry saw her face. She looked British. She had fair skin, light brown eyes, and a nose dead center. If dressed properly, Harry thought she'd have fitted for a Muggle fashion model. She looked vain.

"Why are you here in my dream?" said Claire. Tears were silently streaming down her cheeks.

"Claire?" Harry said uncertainly. Claire looked at him.

"You know her?" Sirius said.

"Well, yeah… I met her here, right?" Harry replied. "Claire…" Harry said, moving toward Claire and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Claire, what's the problem?" Claire faced him and cried into his shoulder. Harry patted her back consolingly.

Everything was fading into darkness, even Harry's own body. He stared around, but everything was growing steadily darker.

"Harry, are you all right?" said a voice. Harry opened his eyes and saw Ron staring down at him.

"Wh – Ron?"

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah… Why?"

"Were you dreaming of something?" Ron said slowly. "I was already in bed when I heard you… kind of… sniffing…"

"Sniffing?" Harry asked. He wasn't a dog in his dream?

"Sniffing… like – crying… Anyways, it grew louder, and louder, like you were crying really hard… gasping… And when I got out of bed to check on you, you _were_ crying. Tears were running down from your eyes, you were sniffing and gasping and everything, but your eyes were closed…" Ron finished quietly. "Are you all right? Were you dreaming?"

"I'm okay…"

"What were you dreaming about?"

"You remember the one I told you I've been seeing all summer in my dreams?"

"The one with Sirius, and the girl, Claire? And the other woman?"

"Yeah – "

"You dreamt about it again?"

"Yes, but it was different. Sirius came to me, and the woman approached Claire."

"Why'd you cry?"

"I wasn't crying!" Harry hissed. "_Claire was crying!_"


	9. The Dream

Chapter nine here now…

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 9: The Dream**

"Wh – what're you gonna do?" Ron said, watching as Harry scrambled out of bed.

"I have to talk to her! Now!" Harry replied, jamming his glasses on.

"Talk to – Claire?" Ron stood back as Harry got to his feet.

"Rose! I have to ask her now if – if she's dreamt of it or something! I have to – "

"Harry, y – you can't! I mean, like what Hermione said before – wouldn't it sound too awkward if you just walk up to her and ask her something like that?"

Harry thought it would sound too dramatic to say that it was okay for him to ask Rose about his dream because they knew each other pretty well, so he settled with saying, "I don't care if it sounds stupid! I need to know what's up with that dream! Sirius is trying to tell me something!"

"O – okay… But I'm gonna go back to sleep, all right? I'll… I'll meet you in the morning…" Ron called as Harry closed the door.

He sprinted down the stairs, still in his pajamas, excitement pulsing through him. When he reached the last two steps, however, he stopped abruptly, hearing voices talking.

"Do you understand?" came an old voice Harry only knew too well.

"Yes, Professor," said a girl.

"You must at all cost control yourself. Do not let yourself be blinded. Ignore it. At least until you have fulfilled your mission. Do I make myself clear?" said Dumbledore's voice.

"Yes, Professor. Good night," said Rose's voice.

"Good night, Rose,"

Then, a small _pop_ echoed around the hollow common room, and there was talking no more. Harry jumped down the last two steps to find Rose, wearing a black cardigan over her nightgown, getting up from the front of the fireplace. Probably because she just got out of bed, she wore her hair down. Harry thought she looked much more like from in his dream. She froze when she saw Harry.

"Er… Were you… just now, were you talking to Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked uncertainly as he walked nearer.

"Y – yes… I just asked him about something… Really silly of me… To do it this late at night…" she said with a small laugh that was obviously made to cover the uneasiness in her voice.

"What kind of thing were you asking him about?" Harry said, reaching the front of the fire and sitting down one of the wooden chairs. "I mean, was it something weird? A dream?" he finished. He felt that now that he'd started it, he had to get over with it with the answers he needed.

"A – a dream? What do you mean?" Rose said, standing in front of the fire, her back to it.

"I – I mean… Well… Listen, I've been dreaming about – I've been dreaming about you," he started. Rose remained quiet, still looking nervous. "Well, it was _your_ face, but in the dream, you – you told me your name was Claire. I've been dreaming about it all summer, and now, I've seen it again," Harry talked feverishly. "But this time, you – I mean, the girl who looked like you was crying because of this woman. I – I really don't understand it. So… So… Have you been… Er, dreaming of the same thing?" Harry finished hesitantly.

Rose remained silent for a moment, gazing at Harry kindly, her nervousness gone. Then, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Harry. I cannot help you with that. I'm afraid I haven't seen much in my dreams except silly things about my childhood fantasies…" She did not give a laugh this time. She just continued to smile at Harry.

"But – but Rose… You haven't… You didn't see…?" Harry mumbled uncertainly.

"I'm sorry I can't help you, Harry," Rose said, the smile on her face vanishing. She went nearer to Harry's seat placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you have a twin sister named Claire or something?" Harry asked in a wild and desperate urge. Rose shook her head slowly.

"Harry…" she said more quietly. "I wish there was something I could do to help…"

"No…" Harry said, closing his eyes and burying his face in his hands. "No… I was – I was just foolish enough to believe it was actually true anyway…" he said in a muffled voice.

"Harry…"

"Maybe – maybe because I wanted to see Sirius so badly – "

"Sirius?" Rose asked.

"Yeah… My godfather… He – he died just last June… He was in my dream…"

"I'm – I'm sorry…"

"No… It's all right…" Harry said. He got up from the chair. Rose took her hand off Harry's shoulder, and he turned to face her.

"Harry… I – I really want to – I wish I could just do something…" said Rose, taking Harry's hand in hers. She had her head bowed down.

"No… It's all right… You don't have to do anything…" said Harry, breathing hard.

"Will you be all right?" Rose asked. Harry felt her warm breathing and realized that they were standing too close to each other.

"Er, yeah… I guess so…" Harry replied.

"If you need help, tell me, all right?" Rose said in a bare whisper. Harry only heard because they were and inch or so apart. "If – if you dream about this again, tell me… I promise I will find out why you're dreaming about this… Okay?" Rose looked up.

Harry stared into her ocean blue eyes. The first time he'd seen them was in his dream. He just could not believe that it had meant nothing. Breaking away from his sentiments, he also recognized that his face was half an inch away from Rose's.

They had not yet moved when footsteps echoed from the stairs going up to the boys' dormitory. Someone was coming down.

"Tell me, okay?" Rose whispered again, and this time Harry felt her breath on his face.

"O – okay…" Harry replied. His face was growing hot now. He didn't know which way to move, his mind working desperately. Suddenly, Rose placed a hand on Harry's left cheek and swiftly kissed his right. Harry felt his face burn. Rose had just stepped back a foot or so when the footsteps stopped.

"Rose?" a familiar voice said. "What are you doing here this late at night?" said the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"I was just – "

"With Potter, I see…" Malfoy said. Harry turned and saw Malfoy standing at the foot of the stairs, also in his pajamas.

"I was already going to bed, actually," Rose said. Harry noticed she had regained her elegant, slightly snobbish manner in the fraction of a second. Just moments ago, she was speaking soft and quietly to Harry. "If I must say, it was a mere coincidence Mr. Potter and I met here."

"Coincidence? Hmm… yeah, maybe…" Malfoy said lazily.

"Mr. Malfoy, may I just ask what you want to point out? You seem to be suspecting me, or Harry, of doing something illegal," Rose said, her temper rising. Harry thought that saying this was not at all a smart move, for Malfoy could say that Rose was guilty of something.

"It's _Draco_… How many times do I have to tell you, Rose? And… You call me by my surname when I perfectly heard you call Potter by his first name? I think that's unfair…" Malfoy finished in a menacingly calm and quiet tone. Rose did not reply and, Harry thought, this was just the give away.

Malfoy continued to stair at the pair of them, and Rose continued to glare at Malfoy. Finally, after several minutes, Rose said, "I want you to know, _Draco_, that whatever Harry and I were talking about is none of your business… And just to make sure… Yes, we have been out of our beds, but so have you…"

"I am a Hogwarts Prefect…" Malfoy said in the same silent, vicious voice. "I have the responsibility, and the _privilege_, to go around patrolling once in a while – "

"I am a Bridgework Student Head, and I have every right and privilege you have – "

"And Potter?" Malfoy cut in. "I don't think he has any liscence to be out of bed, Rose. Except if you include Dumbledore's favoritism for him… Surely, if Dumbledore was to be asked if Potter is allowed – "

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy," Harry said, angry that Malfoy was now pulling Dumbledore into this.

"You seem to not read properly, _Draco_…" Rose said, now adopting the same threatening voice as Malfoy. Harry did not understand what Rose meant, but he listened hard. Rose sank into the chair Harry had been sitting in earlier and surveyed Malfoy angrily. "If you have read the guide for Prefects that Bridgework has distributed, you will find that any student who is in the company of a Head during curfew hours is well permitted to stay up… Therefore, Harry is not out of bounds," she finished simply.

Malfoy appeared to be too appalled to speak. Rose got up again. Malfoy shuffled past the two of them, furious. He went down the marble stairs out of the common room, and went out of sight. Harry smiled at Rose, but she still looked angry, staring at the place where Malfoy stood earlier.

"Er, thanks…" Harry said carefully.

"For what?" Rose shot at him.

"Er… For rooting up for me…"

"_I hate him!_" she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, so do I…" Harry laughed.

"Does he do that all the time? At Hogwarts? Trying to corner people and stuff? Only, this is the first time he's done it to me. When we meet at their house, he's usually all graceful and sickly sweet. I don't know why he does that… Anyway… Next time he tries telling me I'm out of bounds I swear I'll jinx him."

Harry tried to laugh off. He realized Rose was a bit naïve, wondering why Malfoy tried to treat her so nicely. Harry only remembered too well the day when they were in the library and Malfoy tried scaring Harry off to stay away from Rose.

"And I had to make up an excuse so he wouldn't go firing his tongue at authorities saying you were out of bounds tonight," she said, breathing hard.

"Er, that wasn't true? The thing you said about the guide for Prefects thingy?" Harry asked. He completely thought Rose's retaliation was on legal grounds.

"Of course not… I don't even know half of that guide… I just said that to shut him up…" Rose said. "Well, I'm off to bed," she said, turning towards the stairs to the girls' dormitory, her long black and red hair swaying with her movement.

Harry had a fleeting vision of Sirius and the red-haired woman from his dream kissing, and next thing he knew, he had his arms wrapped around Rose, kissing her. And surprisingly, amazingly, Rose was doing the same.


	10. Anzen De Nai Momoku

Okay, here's chapter 10… Hey, I suddenly found the best expression to describe this fic. Sweetly mental. Yeah…

Hey, I know the title for this chapter sounds, what, from a faraway land? Anyways, it's Japanese and you'll see what it means in the next chapter, or maybe in this chapter if you get it. Especially if you speak Japanese…

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 10: Anzen De Nai Momoku**

"So, that's what happened, is it?" Ron said, rubbing his chin.

"That's really – weird, Harry…" said Hermione. Harry had just told them all that had happened when Harry left his bed the night before. He had told them everything that had happened, except the thing that happened last.

"I know… It's just – I can't think of a reason – "

"Ah, well… There are a lot of mysteries in life, Harry," Ron said in a voice uncannily like Professor Trelawney's. "_Come on_, Harry. It's like you haven't seen anything this weird."

"What? You-Know-Who's trying to get into his mind again? Showing drama now is he?" Hermione hissed. It was afternoon and they were sitting near the fire in the common room, waiting for dinner.

"Who else would plant things in Harry's – " Ron started, but halted just as suddenly from the look on Hermione's face. Both of them were still very carefully about the topic, especially when "plant things in Harry's mind" was an exceptionally delicate phrase. Harry felt a mighty pang of guilt. It was indeed because Voldemort had planted a vision in Harry's mind that he had led his friends into the Ministry of Magic, right into the Death Eaters' trap.

"Listen, Hermione. Can't you think of any explanation about this?" Harry asked.

"Well – no," said Hermione, taken aback by Harry's sudden plea for help.

"Can't you go look in the library or something?" said Harry.

"Wow, Harry! I never thought you'd turn to the library for some help!" said Hermione sarcastically. "Why don't you go there yourself? Take Ron with you."

"Hermione! You know the library better than we do! You'll get the answers in no time!" said Ron.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I am in no desire to go to the library any time soon – "

"But we have a homework on – "

"I've finished all my homeworks. _You_ haven't. You can research in the library and at the same time accompany Harry searching for his _answers_. Right, Harry?" Hermione said in mock kindness.

"Whatever…" said Harry, and he slouched back on his wooden chair. They went to dinner with Ron and Hermione bickering as always, and Harry remaining silent.

But it was not Ron and Hermione's argument that kept him so. He was still thinking about those visions he had been seeing, and he still could find no proper explanation for it all.

After dinner, they went back to the common room and took their usual seats by the fire.

"Hogwarts Prefects and Bridgework Student Heads, please gather around!" came the voice of Simon Archer, a Student Head from Bridgework. "We shall have an emergency meeting! This is urgent, please! Approach quickly!"

Ron and Hermione gave him I-don't-want-to-but-I-have-to-go-there looks, so Harry smiled and just remained in his seat. Ron and Hermione joined the flock of students settling in the center of the room. When all of them had been seated, Harry noticed that two chairs remained unoccupied, and realized who were not there.

"Has anyone seen Head Ashworth?" Archer asked confusedly around the circle of Student Heads and Prefects. No one answered but some shook their heads. "Well then, we shall update her on our meeting later. And, does anyone know where Mr. Malfoy is?"

"He said he had some important business. But he's going to try and attend – he said," Lair said almost instantly. She was smiling broadly and looked really pleased with something, but Harry cannot guess what.

"I hope they do catch up – oh!" Archer looked up as a paper airplane flapped above his head. He snatched it from air and read through. After a few moments, he looked up again. "Head Ashworth says she is unavailable and will make sure she knows what the meeting has been about later. Well…" Archer said, tucking the paper away. "Now, on to the meeting."

Harry heard, but did not understand, the meeting. He had been wondering on the possibility of Rose and Malfoy being together, and the thought of their get together made Harry feel less comfortable. Draco Malfoy was just not the type of person he'd want his friends to hang out with, especially Rose, since Harry had long before proved that Malfoy would do everything to make Rose his.

Harry decided to stay and wait for Rose to return. So long after Ron and Hermione had went up to bed (their meeting finished past midnight), and the sixth years' common room emptied, Harry was to be found sitting by the fire, staring into nothingness.

Harry was already bored, but awake and alert. He was starting to think of getting up and searching for Rose when Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire.

"P – Professor Dumbledore?" said Harry, blinking his eyes.

"Harry," said Dumbledore, calm as ever. "I did not expect to see you here."

"I – I was waiting for – "

"I was wondering whether you've seen Rose, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"R – really?" said Harry, getting confused by the minute.

"Yes, Harry. Rose Ashworth."

"I – I've been waiting for her too. I haven't seen her since dinner, Professor."

"Since dinner, is it? But it's almost dawn," said Dumbledore, concern in his voice. "Do you have an idea where she might be?"

"Well, no. But I think she's with Malfoy," said Harry, confession his suspicion.

"Draco Malfoy?"

"Er, yeah…"

"Harry, may I ask you to find both of them?" Dumbledore asked.

"Er…"

"Harry, it is not against law to find a friend when you are worrying about him or her," said Dumbledore.

Sure, Rose was his friend and he was willing enough to find her. But Malfoy too?

"May I request that at this moment you forget the differences between Mr. Malfoy and yourself?" said Dumbledore.

"Okay," said Harry.

"Please hurry. There may well be danger…"

"Danger?" Harry said, startled.

"I have no time to explain, Harry. But soon enough you will find out. Now, please go and find them," Dumbledore said.

His head then disappeared and Harry got up. He had no idea where to go, but he had to find Rose. If this danger was regarding Voldemort, he was in danger too. But Harry understood why Dumbledore wanted Rose found; Rose was the only other person, aside from Harry, to survive Voldemort's curse. And if he, Voldemort, wanted Harry dead, Harry was pretty sure who Voldemort wanted to kill next.

Harry, made his way down another blank corridor, as they always were at Bridgework, to the Potions classroom. The corridor he was walking along, and all those he passed by were very dark, only slightly illuminated by the moonlight passing through the occasional windows. He had heard that Rose spends a lot of time there, though he had never remembered to ask why. He was hoping he'd find her there. He had no intention whatsoever of trying to find Malfoy. He certainly did not care about him. And he was sure that if the matter involved Voldemort, which was probably sure enough, Malfoy would be in no danger, for he and his family had always supported Voldemort. _Voldemort would probably be pleased to see him_, Harry thought to himself.

He had turned the corner of the corridor where the Potions room was located, and found, to his horror, Draco Malfoy and Rose Ashworth indeed together, sitting on the floor, leaning their backs against the wall, just next to the Potions door. They seemed to be talking quietly.

Harry did not know what to do for a moment. He stood frozen at the end of the corridor, silently staring at the pair farther along. Then, Malfoy noticed him.

"Potter?" Malfoy's voice echoed all around the hollow passageway.

"Yeah," said Harry nervously. He was sure anything Malfoy had to say was foul. "Yeah, it's me… What're you – what're you two doing here?"

"What's the matter? Concerned about us, aren't you?" said Malfoy. He got up, and helped Rose to her feet to. They both turned to Harry, but did not come any nearer.

"Harry? Is that you?" said Rose.

"Yeah… What're you doing here, Rose?" said Harry.

"We – we were – "

"I think it's none of your business, Potter, concerned as you are," Malfoy cut in.

"I'm concerned about Rose, not you. Shut your mouth, will you?"

"Concerned about her? Like I don't know what you want!" said Malfoy, his voice a little louder now.

"Oh yeah? What do I want then? Do I want her? Who brought Rose here in a desperate attempt to get her all alone? Did I, Malfoy?" Harry said, his voice louder as well.

"Are you accusing me of – "

"Yeah, I'm accusing you of every foul thing you could do and you know what? You're guilty – "

"Stop it, you two!" Rose suddenly yelled, cutting Harry. "What is the matter with you two? Can't you at least save that for another day? Fine, you hate each other, but do you have to act like this every single time you meet? Can't you just – just stare angrily at each other or something? Can't you even control your tempers?"

"Rose, it's not about temper – " Draco started.

"Staring angrily at him doesn't make the loathing lighter – " Harry also began.

"I don't care!" Rose yelled again. "The thing is – " she said in a threatening voice Harry had never heard before this. " – _you always do your scuffle at the wrong time and place_."

Both Harry and Malfoy fell silent.

"Library? First assignment in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Oh…" Malfoy said, remembering.

"_Oh…_ _So you remember?_ You two are just so – so like airheads!"

"Rose, we don't – don't just argue in front of you. I mean, when we meet in other places – " Harry tried to explain.

"You argue too," Rose finished. "That's the thing," she said quietly. She remained silent for a few moments, then she spoke again in her normal tone. "Listen, this is not the time to talk about this. Harry you have to help us."

"Help you? What d'you – "

"Don't you notice? We can't move here? But if you really, really hate me, you can just go and not help us. I don't really want to be helped by you anyway," said Malfoy.

"Cut it I said," said Rose conversationally. "Harry, we've been stuck here for hours and we don't even know why. And it was not Draco's doing," she added.

"Well, I won't know how to get you out unless I know what's blocking your way… Wait, let me try and walk there okay?" Harry said, taking careful steps toward Rose and Malfoy.

When he was just two feet away, he hurried his steps and expected to collide with a glass wall of some sort, but he went right through, like nothing was blocking the way. Were Malfoy and Rose bluffing? Perhaps Malfoy had been able to persuade Rose to play a prank on him?

"What – How did you do that?" Malfoy said.

"Harry?" Rose said.

"I – I don't know. Are you sure something was blocking your way?" Harry said, turning to Rose and Malfoy.

"_Yes, we're pretty sure,_" said Malfoy sarcastically.

"We couldn't get through, Harry. We tried everything," Rose said, almost pleadingly.

"But – how – why don't you try getting through it now?" Harry said. Malfoy violently slammed his shoulder against the unseen wall. He gave a low moan of pain and slowly slid down the invisible blockage. Rose hurried to his side and ushered him to sit properly.

"Harry, why don't you try to walk through it again? See if you can still get through," said Rose.

Harry walked cautiously again, and passed Malfoy, whose back was against the invisible wall. He had gone through it again.

"Harry?" Rose said, uncertainty in her voice now. If she did not understand what was happening, Harry had no better idea.

"Listen, I'm gonna get back there," Harry said, struck by a sudden idea. He walked back to Malfoy's front. "Hold my hand," he said.

"What?" said Rose.

"Hold my hand. Just – it's just a theory," said Harry. Rose got up, an expression of bewilderment on her face, and held Harry's hand. She was trembling slightly, Harry felt.

He walked past Malfoy again and pulled Rose closer to him. And Rose went past Malfoy too.

"You – you got through?" Harry said, his confusion at its highest rate that night.

"I guess so," said Rose slowly. She seemed to be deep in thought. When she finally spoke, she had her pleading voice again. "Harry, can you pull Draco through too?"

"Wh – him?" said Harry

"Yes. Can you just – pull him through like you did with me so we can all get out of here?"

"I can survive without _him_ helping me, thank you – " Malfoy started again.

"And I don't wanna help someone whose pride's so – " Harry raised his voice, but Rose yelled yet again.

"Won't you ever stop?" she said, her voice louder than anyone's.

"Okay… I – I'll get him… But only because you say so… Not because I actually want to help him – "

"Okay, I get the point!" shouted Rose.

"Like I want your help," muttered Malfoy, but he took Harry's arm all the same and walked through to Rose.

"Are you both all right?" said Rose breathlessly.

"Yeah," said Harry.

"I guess so," said Malfoy.

"Let's go back, shall we?" Rose said.

She turned and walked to the end of the corridor, Harry and Malfoy right behind her. Just then, they heard a sudden swishing sound and a flash of red light shone from the right of the corridor they were approaching for a few moments, and then it disappeared.

"What was that?" Malfoy said.

"I don't know," said Rose in a hushed voice. She walked cautiously to the end of their corridor.

"Wait – Don't!" Harry yelled.

"Rose!" Malfoy shouted at the same time.

But Rose had already peered around the corner, trying to see through the black.

"There's – nothing here," she said, puzzled. Both Harry and Malfoy strode to her and saw for themselves that there was nothing in the place where the red light supposedly came from.

"L – let's go," Rose suddenly said, her voice shaking.

"What? Why?" said Harry. He wanted to investigate more about the peculiar light.

"This – this isn't right. We have to go – to our dormitories," said Rose.

"What's the matter? Why are you suddenly fearful?" Malfoy asked.

"Please, we have to go! We don't want to be here!" said Rose, her voice pleading once more. "Leave it to the authorities. They can figure this out. You don't have to – "

"What was that?" said Harry this time. A loud echoing bell had rung somewhere, and from what he has seen of the Bridgework castle, there were no bells anywhere.

Rose closed her eyes and quietly said, "We have to run…"

The three of them tore along the corridor, ignoring the bell growing louder. When they had reached the place where the stairs to the common room appeared, Rose took out her wand and made an incantation Harry had never heard of. It sounded like a Chinese spell.

Icy blue light appeared and formed a dome around the three of them. Moments after, more red light flashed around them. Rose raised her wand again and said "Pure blood," pointing her wand at the ceiling. The marble steps descended, and she started to climb. Malfoy said "Pure blood," and went after Rose. Harry said "Half blood," and climbed up too. When he had reached the top, the stairs disappeared, and the floor of the sixth years' common room became smooth again.

"I see you three have managed to come back safely," said Albus Dumbledore, sitting on Harry's favorite chair by the fire.


	11. Metanoia

So, this is the eleventh chapter of this sweetly mental fic. As I promised, here you will see what "anzen de nai momoku" means. Now, on to the story…

And oh, this may sound like a spoiler but I _have_ to say this. In this chapter, you will see Draco going over to the good side. Now, I saw in other fanfics with similar cases reviews like, "You have to explain why Draco suddenly became good." So, here, I've tried to explain, slowly but surely (I hope), how it came to be so. So tell me what you think about it. Reviews please!

By the way, "metanoia" means "conversion."

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 11: Metanoia**

"Professor Dumbledore?" said Rose.

"Yes, Rose. It is I. Thank you for guiding these two Hogwarts students through the grounds of Bridgework, I must suspect?" said Dumbledore in his calm voice once again.

"What are you doing here?" Malfoy said in a rather rude tone, but Rose and Harry glared at him so he added, "Professor…"

"I am here to ensure that you, Draco, and your fellow students are safe, and as you have experienced earlier, the Bridgework castle appears not to be too safe anymore," said Dumbledore, gazing kindly at the three of them. "Please sit down. I believe you had a most tiring experience?"

For a moment, Harry had forgotten why he was up and alert at dawn, but Dumbledore's words reminded him.

"Professor, there was an invisible wall back in the – "

"Yes, I know. I know…" said Dumbledore.

"You know?" said Harry.

"Yes, I have heard of what had happened. The portraits all told me – "

"But there are no portraits down that corridor – " Malfoy cut in.

"There are invisible portraits…" said Rose quietly.

"Invisible?" Harry turned to her.

"What's the use of portraits if they can't be seen?" Malfoy asked.

"They stand as guards, spying on outsiders. They can spy because outsiders don't know that they're there, so they can do something and not know someone's watching them. If they do something illegal, the portraits can tell school authorities…" said Rose.

"And you never told us about this?" Malfoy said, sounding angry.

Harry could somehow feel sympathetic. All the while, he thought Rose was a close friend, and she never told Harry a simple fact like this about Bridgework. _Or maybe_, said the familiar small voice in Harry's mind, _she did not want to tell you. You are an outsider after all._ Harry's insides dropped a few notches. _Maybe she doesn't trust you._

"You do not have the right to get mad at Rose, both of you," said Dumbledore. "Those portraits were placed there for the security of everyone inside the castle."

"So she doesn't trust us?" Malfoy said.

"She trusts you," said Dumbledore quietly, Rose raising her head to look at him. "But you have to trust her reasons too. Am I quite right, Rose?"

"…" Rose lowered her head again without answering.

"Now, about that invisible wall… Only Harry was able to get through, wasn't he?" Dumbledore said, turning to Harry and Malfoy.

"Yes. Why is that…? Professor?" Malfoy said.

"It is an ancient charm called Anzen De Nai Momoku."

"Charm called what?" Harry asked rather aggressively. Rose raised her head again.

"Unsafe Blindness…" said Rose.

"That is correct, Rose. 'Anzen de nai momoku' is a Japanese phrase which translates to 'unsafe blindness.' It is an ancient Japanese charm. Early Eastern wizards used this charm to trap their enemies, and slowly drain their energy," Dumbledore started to explain.

"So, if we stayed there long enough, we could have died?" said Malfoy.

"Yes, you could have."

"But how come Potter was able to get through?"

"The charm is set up for particular people only. People who are not targeted can easily walk through it, and save the people inside. But the technique of which the charm can be used effectively is the location. If you place the victims and the barrier in an isolated place, no one will ever be able to help them get out, and they shall perish there."

"Professor, you said Bridgework was unsafe anymore," said Harry cautiously, glancing at Malfoy. "Does this involve – Voldemort?"

"I'm afraid it does, Harry."

Harry turned and glared at Malfoy.

"So who brought Rose right into Voldemort's trap?" he said, trying to keep his voice straight, for he was shaking with anger. "I thought you _liked_ her? I guess even your own feelings can't interfere with Voldemort's orders, can it? You know what? You're a very good actor, Malfoy, sounding confused and all – "

"I don't know anything about this, all right?" yelled Malfoy suddenly.

He straightened in his chair, shaking with anger as well. Dumbledore remained silent, serenely gazing at the pair of them, while Rose stared at the floor.

"I did not bring Rose there to kill her, nor was I on the Dark Lord's orders! I just accompanied her to the Potions classroom, and later when we got out, we can't get through anymore! We tried calling people for help, but nothing worked!" Malfoy continued to yell. Calling people for help? But Harry certainly remembered a paper airplane arriving during the Prefects' meeting, and Archer mentioning that it was from Rose.

"How do you explain the note that arrived, then? Earlier in the meeting you two were supposed to be in, a note arrived saying that Rose had something important to do? Did Rose really send that? Or were you the one who made up that excuse?"

"I did not send any note! I told you, all I did was go to the Potions room with her!"

"What do you do there anyway?" Harry shot at Rose. Rose remained silent and Harry realized, embarrassed, that he had vented some of his anger on the wrong person.

"I was visiting Severus," Rose said quietly. Severus Snape was Rose's godfather, and Harry realized that he was attacking her unreasonably again.

"I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – "

"Rose, did you send any note to Mr. Archer saying that you can't attend the meeting earlier?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes upon Rose now.

"No, Professor," replied Rose still quietly.

"Then, if Draco did not send it, and Rose did not send it, someone else must have. Someone who knows what was going to happen to the pair of them," said Dumbledore in a concluding voice.

"But who – "

"No one can answer that, Harry. Unless we work together to solve this mystery… What I want to see, Harry, Draco, is agreement between the two of you," said Dumbledore.

"What?"

"Never!"

"I believe I am not the only one who wants you two to stop fighting anymore."

Dumbledore turned his eyes upon Rose, who was still looking at the floor.

"Draco, your father, and all of your family I guess, has been supporting the Dark Lord ever since. But do you not think it is time to make a difference? If I am allowed to say, I believe your family has been brought up in the wrong perspective of things. I do not think your family is evil for supporting Voldemort, but the ideas that have been presented to your early ancestors were not exactly the better vision of things. You believe in what other people think as evil, and they regard you as evil too. But you are not evil. Your family is not evil. It is not your fault that you believe in things others detest. It is the fault of those who presented these ideas to our kind in the first place."

"People like him," Malfoy said quietly.

"People like Voldemort, perhaps. But he was not the first to think this way. He was influenced as well. But if we want to find out who the person to blame is, the person who first thought that wizards should only be pure bloods, we can never be successful. What we can do now is prevent the future from having problems as we encounter today.

"People regard the Malfoys as evil, and just as frightful as Lord Voldemort himself. Don't you think it is time that someone changed what they think about your family? Don't you think you are the person to do that? Draco, I think I am right in saying that this is the time to uplift your family name, not in the false greatness in Voldemort's shadow, but in the good that wizardkind celebrates."

Dumbledore finished. For a moment, Harry thought Malfoy did not care about a word Dumbledore said, but he spoke to Dumbledore.

"Professor… I'm sorry," Malfoy said quietly.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Draco."

"All this time, I thought we were – we were – right – about things… I never thought – I never thought this was what other people thought about us – And – and all the other people we've hurt – "

"You haven't hurt anyone, Malfoy…" Harry said just as quietly. Malfoy turned to him, surprised. Harry suddenly felt sorry for Malfoy too. Dumbledore was right. "You haven't hurt anyone… You are hurt…"

"What – "

"I believe you understand what Harry is trying to say, Draco," Dumbledore said.

"Potter… Your – your parents – "

"It's not your fault," Harry said.

"I'm so sorry – "

"It's not your fault, okay? Even if you say your parents were always helping Voldemort, it was Voldemort himself who killed my parents so even in technicality…" Harry's voice trailed away.

"Rose…"

"…"

"I shall leave you three here. I have to sort out the security here in Bridgework. I know that you still have a lot you want to talk about and I will understand if you stay up, but the sun is almost up and I think I can reveal to you that you have an activity tomorrow. Maybe you should just get some sleep and talk tomorrow," said Dumbledore, getting up from his chair. "Look at the time, it's almost five," he said, looking at his pocket watch. "I will see you soon," he said, and then he climbed down the marble steps.

The three of them remained silent for a few minutes, then Malfoy spoke again.

"I don't know if this will sound too reckless, I mean, maybe you don't want to talk about your parents' deaths at all, but I have to say this…" he started.

"Yeah, you're sorry and you really hate Voldemort now?" said Harry. Malfoy stared at him. "It doesn't really matter. I mean, you didn't kill them, did you? But a Malfoy on Dumbledore's side's a miracle. And I still don't like you," Harry grinned. Malfoy grinned back.

"Hey, whoever said I liked you now?" said Malfoy. Then, his expression became worried again. He turned to Rose. "Rose?"

Rose took her eyes off the floor and looked at Malfoy and Harry, tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes looking more convincingly ocean blue, Harry thought.

"Rose, what's the matter?" Harry asked.

"Why are you crying?" Malfoy said.

"N – nothing… Sorry…" Rose replied, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Are you all right?" said Harry.

"Yes, I'm all right," she said. She got up from her chair and faced Harry and Malfoy, who were both sitting.

"Are you sure? You better go to bed, Rose. You look awfully tired," said Malfoy.

"Yes, I think I will," she said. She stretched her arms and wrapped them around Harry's and Malfoy's necks in a wide hug.

"Rose…" Malfoy said.

"Thank you, both of you…" she said in a whisper.

"Rose, there's no need – " Harry started.

"We will all need each other before long…"

"What do you mean?" said Malfoy.

"We three…" Rose said, and then she turned around and climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"You have an idea what she meant?" said Malfoy.

"No… You think she knows something about to happen?" replied Harry.

"What, she's a Seer?" Both Harry and Malfoy grinned.

"Well there you two are!" said Hermione, climbing down the stairs from the boys' dormitory, followed by Ron.

"Dumbledore sent us a message about everything that had happened and so we know it and I still don't think having _him_ on our side is a good idea but I can't do anything about it because Dumbledore trusts him just as Dumbledore trusts Snape and I don't like him either," Ron said fast.

"And besides," Hermione said. "You two were grinning at each other like best friends earlier – we saw while climbing down the stairs, we weren't spying on you, _please_ – so that would mean you (she pointed at Malfoy) are Harry's friend, and Harry's friend is our friend – "

"Of course not!" said Ron indignantly.

"Where's Rose, anyway?" asked Hermione, ignoring Ron.

"She went up to her dormitory – "

"She's really tired – "

"Really? Both of you seem really concerned…" Hermione smirked. "Anyway, I'm going to go check on her. Professor Dumbledore told me to, so don't tell me she's extremely tired and wants to rest," she added, seeing the look on Harry's and Malfoy's faces.

"Why don't you two go to bed?" said Ron.

Both Harry and Malfoy climbed up the stairs and went to their own dormitories. Harry flung himself onto bed without undressing and taking off his glasses. He did not feel tired. He felt excited. He did not feel happy. But he wasn't sad. Yes, there was something to be happy about; imagine your mortal enemy suddenly deciding to join your side. But happy was not the word for it. He knew Voldemort was going to attack soon too, for he had seen a preview of it tonight. He guessed that was what pulled his spirits down. But he could not figure what he felt, for it was the most mysterious feeling he had felt ever.


	12. Seekers and Dates

Hmm… What to place here? Aack! I'm starting to run out of sequence! What should happen? Okay… On to Chapter 12! Oh yeah, Harry's Quidditch Captain now! Yay!

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 12: Seekers and Dates **

"You do not know her, Harry," said Claire. Harry had dreamt of it again.

"What do you mean I don't know?" asked Harry.

"You still don't know who she really is…"

"Harry! Harry!" Ron's voice said. Harry opened his eyes and saw Ron peering over him. He was still in bed. "Quidditch today, Harry!"

"Quidditch? What Quidditch?" mumbled Harry, feeling the bedside table for his glasses.

"What 'What Quidditch?'! Don't give me that drama, Harry! Get up, or we'll be late for the team introduction!"

Harry's thoughts seemed to organize as he dressed himself. He was back in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, after being banned the previous year by Dolores Umbridge, Harry's least favorite teacher, aside from Snape. It seemed late, as they were already in the middle of the schoolyear, to organize the Interhouse Quidditch Tournament, but he was still grateful that he was able to play.

Harry and Ron dashed to the dining hall. The plates and food had vanished, so did the hundreds of circular dining tables. Eight enormous circular tables stood, each occupied by seven people. Harry found Malfoy in one of the tables, and recalled the events of last night; Draco Malfoy was now on their side. Though, Harry knew he would still have to hang out with his friends. And besides, who would want him around when he always accused Harry of trying to steal Rose from him. In one of the tables, Harry spotted, and was surprised to see, Rose sitting with six other people. Rose had never mentioned that she played Quidditch. Harry wondered whether she was a Seeker like him. He also found Iris Lair in one of the other tables, and suspected that she became a player out of jealousy with Rose, in the same way that Malfoy had been, back in theirsecond year, out of jealousy with Harry.

Harry and Ron sat down with Ginny, Dennis and Colin Creevey, the new Gryffindor Chasers, and Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper, last year's temporary Beaters who became permanent since they had improved over the summer. Ron had been retained as Keeper, and Harry was still Seeker, and was now the Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain.

"Good morning, everyone!" said a blonde, longhaired guy who had walked to the front. "I am Alex Yu, the team captain of Windanaer."

"Team captain of what?" Ron hissed in Harry's ear. Harry shrugged, and Alex Yu spoke again.

"Windanaer is one of the four elemental teams of Bridgework. It represents water," said Yu. "Flamma Leoht is the fire team. Eorthe is the earth team. And Hydoris is the water team…"

On Alex Yu went about Bridgework Quidditch. Harry was rather surprised to find himself bored, when the talk was about Quidditch. _I just want to get on my broom and play_, he thought to himself. At the end of the talk, Harry and Ron marched up to Rose and sort of confronted her.

"How come you never told us you played Quidditch?" Ron attacked.

"Yeah, you never mentioned it!" supported Harry.

"Well, we never got around the topic," said Rose.

"And _what_ are you doing, _Potter_," drawled Malfoy. Harry wheeled around and saw Malfoy give him a hinting look, as though telling him to ride along. "What are you confronting Rose for?"

"We were just asking her about Quidditch, _Malfoy_, so back off," replied Harry pointedly as well.

"Let's go," Malfoy said to his Slytherin gang, and they all swept away, Malfoy glancing a smirk at Harry, Ron, and Rose as he passed.

"He's a rather good actor, isn't he?" said Ron.

"What team are you in?" Harry asked Rose.

"Hydoris, the water team," Rose replied.

"You've got cool names for your teams," said Ron.

"Hydoris means water and ice. I can't remember if it's Greek or Latin. All the team names came from that. Flamma Leoht means flame and light. Windanaer, wind and air. Eorthe simply means earth."

"What team is Lair on?" Harry asked.

"Eorthe," Rose replied shortly. Harry had the feeling his suspicion earlier was quite right. "So, tell me about Hogwarts Quidditch. Your team's – Gryffindor?"

"Yeah – Hey, wait. What's your position in Hydoris?" said Ron.

"I'm Seeker. So is Lair in Eorthe. What's Draco's position? And yours?"

"I'm Seeker. Ron's Keeper. Draco's – I mean, Malfoy's Seeker in Slytherin," replied Harry.

Harry, Ron, and Rose ate lunch together. Hermione, who had finished her lunch when they finished their Quidditch talk, did not join them. After eating, they made their way back to the sixth years' common room, where Hermione waited accompanied by –

"What're you doing here?" blurted Ron.

"Trust me, Weasley, I do not enjoy your company," sneered Malfoy.

"I asked him to come with us," Hermione said, standing between Ron and Malfoy.

"What! Hermione? How could you do this?"

"Ron, please!" said Hermione, so Ron's expression became mild again.

"Hermione, why – " Harry began.

"I wouldn't go with you if not for this beautiful lady's plea," said Malfoy, waving a hand at Hermione, as though presenting her. Hermione blushed. Ron scowled. He obviously has not forgotten the days when Malfoy regarded Hermione as an "ugly Muggle."

"Skip the drama and tell us what you're after, will you?" Ron said.

"Hermione, did you ask Malfoy to come for us to _bond together_?" Harry said sarcastically.

"Well, erm…" Hermione blushed a more furious red.

"I can say that's okay for you three boys, seeing as you still have grudges against each other," Rose commented quietly.

"See? She's with me! She thinks it's good too!" said Hermione, beaming.

"Sure, Rose! You think it's a good idea? That's absolutely fine with me!" Malfoy exclaimed. Harry, Ron, and Rose exchanged looks of laughter fit to burst.

"How did you shake Crabbe and Goyle off?" said Harry.

"That was a hard job, mind you. I had to tell them all sorts of things. I had work to do, Prefect stuff. I had something to research. They only realized I was leaving when I said 'I'll go now,' right before I turned and left!" said Malfoy. They all burst out into fits of laughter.

"So, where are we going anyway? Roes?" Ron asked ten minutes later. They were walking slowly across the field to the Bridgework gates.

"We're going to Castlerest," said Rose.

"Castlerest?" asked Harry.

"Isn't that in North – thingy? I remember reading it at the train station," said Ron.

"It's the nearest all-wizard settlement to Bridgework, isn't it?" said Hermione superiorly.

"It's where Rose lives," said Malfoy, his voice sounding even more superior than Hermione's.

"Well, that figures, doesn't it?" said Hermione in an I-already-know-that tone. "I mean, it's the most convenient place to live in if you go to Bridgework. Plus, the rich and famous live there."

"Rich – and famous?" Rose stared feebly at Hermione.

"Yes, and you're the best example, aren't you?"

"She reads everything. She hasn't been stalking you, don't worry," said Ron in an undertone to Rose as Hermione kept talking.

"Would you be alright if the Slytherins see you with Harry?" Rose asked Malfoy. They were sitting in a train compartment, heading for Castlerest, East Dragon.

"They won't mind. I mean, they wouldn't actually believe that I'd made friends with Potter, would they?" said Malfoy.

"Yeah, they'll think you're just sick or something," grinned Harry.

"And if they question me, I can simply say that it was Rose who made me come."

"But won't Rose look bad to the Slytherins then?" said Hermione, sounding worried.

"Who cares about what the Slytherins think?" said Ron. "And that includes you," he said to Malfoy, who scowled.

"I have to go to the bathroom," said Hermione suddenly.

"Oh, I'll go with you," said Rose. So, the two of them got out of the compartment. When the door shut, Harry started.

"But actually, it's not an excuse, Rose. I really just came with Potter to be with you," Harry sneered at Malfoy.

"Shut up, Potter," hissed Malfoy. "It's not funny."

"What's not funny?"

"You…"

"So you liking Rose isn't funny, is it?" Harry pressed on.

"I don't _like_ her," said Malfoy.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! I – _love_ her," said Malfoy, blushing crimson. Harry burst out laughing again.

"Shut it, Harry. You _love_ Rose too," joined in Ron. It was Malfoy's turn to laugh.

"I wonder what the fun is all about, and whether I could join in too."

Iris Lair was standing in the doorway, Rose and Hermione behind her, wearing faces of depression and annoyance.

"We, er, saw her in the bathroom," said Hermione, resuming her seat beside Ron.

"She – asked where – you two were – Harry and Draco," said Rose uncomfortably, also returning to her seat between Harry and Malfoy.

"Why were you looking for us, Iris?" said Malfoy in an offhand voice. Harry was sure he was not exactly the person Harry wanted to catch Malfoy laughing out loud with himself.

"I wasn't looking for the _two of you_ precisely, Draco. I was looking for you separately. But you're together so less trouble, isn't it?" said Lair, mock happiness in her voice. "But I was just wondering, Draco. Why are you here? I mean, you don't really hang out with Harry," her eyes glinted maliciously.

"I – I asked him to come with us," said Rose.

"Indeed? And how kind of you, Draco," Lair smiled menacingly.

"So – why'd you want to see me, then?" Harry decided to speak.

"I was just going to remind you that tonight is the Halloween Ball at Bridgework – "

"Oh – " said Rose.

"I forgot it was already Halloween!" said Hermione.

"And Ashworth, rumors have been flying around that an awful lot of boys are intending to ask you to go with them. Has anyone asked you yet?" Lair asked.

"None," said Rose shortly.

"Oh… So nobody bothered – I mean, nobody asked you _yet_, is it?" said Lair. Rose remained silent. "So you don't have a date t o the ball?"

"N – " Rose started.

"Yes, she has," said Harry and Malfoy in unison. They, at the same time, took hold of each of Rose's hands.

"Hm… You've got quite a situation there, Ashworth…" Lair smiled rather a scary smile. "When you've worked out who's gonna go to the Ball with Ashworth, I'll be going with the one that's left, all right?" said Lair, winking at Harry.

Lair swept out of the room.

"I think I need to go to the bathroom again," said Rose. She squeezed her hands out of Harry's and Malfoy's grips and got up. Harry had a glimpse of her blushed face before she slid the compartment door shut.

"So, as I was saying, I've mentioned that you both – "

"Shut up."

"Shut it, Weasley."


	13. Before the Ball

Okay… Next chapter here… Oh, if ever there are Japanese readers out there, or people who just know how to speak Japanese, forgive me if the Japanese grammar's, well, not so fine. But I did my best there! And oh, do tell me if you think that a "kindly threatening" voice is possible…

I've always wanted to include song lyrics here… But I never found the right time to do it… Maybe this chapter… Or the next…

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 13: Before the Ball**

When they arrived at Castlerest, the sun had almost set. The sky was turning into a grayish blue, with a faint pink in the east. Castlerest was indeed the home of the rich, Harry thought. Large, painted manors were a common sight, and Harry even spotted one that looked like it was a smaller replica of the Hogwarts Castle.

He did not dare voice out his amazement, however, for he was sure Malfoy would only embarrass him again. Malfoy, who lived in a manor, looked almost at home to the place.

"Er, where d'you guys want to go?" asked Rose after a few minutes' walking.

"Are there shops here?" asked Ron.

"Yes, but they're kind of small. The real shopping places are up at Shopswalk in Kita Umi-game Hebi," said Rose.

"Oh, _Shopswalk_! The shopping capital, isn't it?" said Hermione.

"Um, d'you guys want to go up to the house?" Rose offered.

"_Your_ house?" Harry asked.

"Yeah... If you want to – "

"Sure! That's brilliant, Rose!" exclaimed Malfoy.

They walked down one of the wider streets and found themselves standing outside a very old but still sturdy-looking small castle. It was just a little smaller than the Bridgework Castle itself, and Bridgework was the same size as Hogwarts, and Harry had not visited all the parts of Hogwarts yet, and he thought it was already very big.

They entered the black grilled gates and walked to the front door.

"_Konbanwa, Rosu-sama,"_ an old woman bowed to Rose when they entered the gleaming black front doors.

"_Konbanwa, Sanada-san,"_ said Rose with a smile to the woman.

"_Konbanwa, kyaku-sama,"_ the woman bowed to Harry and the others too.

"Sanada says good evening," said Rose, turning to them. "It's 'Konbanwa.'"

"_Konbanwa,"_ Harry muttered along with Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy. The woman bowed again. Then, she spotted Malfoy.

"_Ahh, Drako-sama!"_ exclaimed the woman, sinking into another low bow. Malfoy made no reaction. He must be used to this treatment, Harry thought.

"_Sanada-san, doko wa minna-san desu ka?"_ said Rose. Harry guessed she was asking something.

"_Shigoto desu,"_ said the woman, pointing behind her to a blue hallway.

"_Minna-san wa daijobu ka?"_

"_Hai, Rosu-sama. Daijobu. Ku no arigatou."_

Harry was wondering what they were talking about when Rose approached him.

"_Kore wa Harry-kun, Sanada-san,"_ said Rose. She seemed to be introducing Harry to Sanada.

"_Hari?"_ The woman said Harry's name in her Japanese accent.

"Harry Potter_, Sanada-san,"_ said Rose. _"Kore wa Ron-kun o Hermione-san,"_ she said, indicating Ron and Hermione in turn with her hand.

"_Ah, hai… Cha, Rosu-sama?"_ spoke the woman.

"_Hai, kudasai,"_ smiled Rose. Then, the woman disappeared into the hallway. "Follow me."

They went down the hall as well. As they passed, Harry noticed numerous paintings of stately-looking people. He assumed that these were members of the Ashworth family. They turned a corner and walked down a brown corridor this time. The walls were lined with unfurled scrolls, lots of Japanese writing on them. Rose led them to the front of blue doors, which rose to the ceiling. Rose pushed them apart and –

"Mother!" exclaimed Malfoy, hurrying forward. It was indeed his mother, sitting on one of the cushioned chairs that lined the blue room, the woman Harry saw back at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Mrs. Malfoy!" Rose said in a rather shocked, worried voice. "How – how nice of you to come by! Did you know that we were to come here today?"

"Rose, haven't I told you not to call me 'Mrs. Malfoy'? Call me 'Mother,' dear," said Malfoy's mother, Narcissa Black. Harry was reminded of Malfoy's early efforts to get Rose to call him by his first name.

"Like mother, like son," Ron muttered beside Harry.

"And you are accompanied by a rather strange group," said Mrs. Malfoy in a kindly threatening voice.

"I – I asked Draco to c – come with us, _Mother_," Rose stuttered. Harry was pretty sure she was terrified of Mrs. Malfoy.

"And you came?" Mrs. Malfoy asked her son.

"Yes, Mother. You see, Rose – "

"Yes, yes… I know you'd go to any lengths to come to Rose's aid. But I must say, this is quite impressing, Draco…"

Harry could see what was impressing. Seeing a Malfoy with Harry Potter was quite a miracle.

"I – I'll bring them to the other room, shall I?" said Rose. She ushered Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the room.

"_What was that all about?"_ Harry hissed at Rose. Their faces were an inch apart.

"Harry, I'll explain later! Please, just get out of her way. You don't know how she deals with people she doesn't like!" Rose pleaded.

"You did that to save us? Blimey, she must be really horrible," said Ron in an okay voice. But Harry felt offended, for some reason, by Rose.

"So what if she's horrible when she's angry? We're not gonna do anything?" said Harry.

"Harry, please!" said Rose in almost a squeak. She held Harry's hands. "_You don't know her!_ Please, Harry!"

Harry gulped and gave a small nod. He suddenly felt ridiculous. He felt that he got angry for no reason at all. Rose turned and led them to a room similar to the first, except that it was red. The three of them sat down.

"I'll tell you when she's left," said Rose.

She seemed to be fighting back tears. She cast one worried look at Harry and she turned to leave. Harry gazed at the floor, not really seeing it. He heard the doors shut with a snap, and there was silence. _You don't know her._ The words reverberated in his brain. He remembered Claire again. He was starting to doubt Rose. Rose proved once that she did not trust Harry. What if she really doesn't regard him as a friend? _Maybe it's a family matter so that only her and Malfoy can hear it._

"Hey, what's with you two?" said Ron. Both Harry and Hermione looked at him. "You're both silent and all… What's the matter?"

"Nothing…" Harry mumbled.

"Come on, you two… Are we just – just gonna sit here and wait for Rose to come back?" said Hermione.

"What? We're gonna wander around the house? Cool it, Hermione… This place gives me the creeps," said Ron.

"This is Rose's house! How come you're scared? And I'm not talking about going around the house. Don't you want to listen to what Narcissa Black's telling Rose and Malfoy?" said Hermione.

"What if Malfoy's mum catches us? And, there's no need. Rose's gonna tell us all about it later anyway."

"What if she doesn't?" said Harry quietly.

"What?" said Ron and Hermione together.

"What if she doesn't want to tell us?"

"Oy, Harry… What're you on about?" said Ron slowly. "Wait – you're not – you're not jealous, are you?" said Ron, laughing.

"What d'you mean jealous?" said Harry, looking at Ron with narrowed eyes.

"You're just jealous because of Malfoy…" said Ron carefully now. Was it jealousy that Harry felt? He could not tell…

"Come on, people! Let's go?" Hermione said.

The three of them got up and wakled down the corridor to the blue doors, which were shut. Between the doors was a small gap, just enough to peek. Harry peered.

"What _is_ the matter with you two?" said Mrs. Malfoy, irritation in her voice.

She was sitting in the same chair, Rose and Draco Malfoy sitting across the center table. They were sitting in the same cushioned chair, and Harry felt a funny wriggling in his stomach and an odd irritation in his mind. Malfoy was leaning back on the chair, his arms spread wide. Rose sat upstraight, looking rather scared to let down her guard in front of Mrs. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, however, was gazing at Rose's back, as though hoping that she's lean back so he could place his arm over around her shoulders.

"What do you mean, Mother?" said Malfoy, breaking out of his trance.

"I _mean_, I know that you two were not really comfortable with each other back then… But now is different, children… You have spent a lot of time with each other at Bridgework. I think I can say that I expect you to become closer than what you're showing me right now," Mrs. Malfoy finished.

Harry could only imagine how thankful Malfoy was to his mother.

"Mother," said Malfoy in an offhand sort of voice. Then, he straightened up and indeed placed his hand over Rose's shoulders. Harry distinctly saw Rose shiver.

"Well, I'll be off…" said Malfoy's mother, suddenly getting up. "I have to go somewhere. I'll see you two later…"

The three of them walked to the door of the blue room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione scrambled out of sight.

"And oh," said Mrs. Malfoy, her footsteps stopping just before the blue doors. "Do send me a picture of you two together at the ball. I expect you two will be going together to tonight's Halloween Ball?"

"Wh – " Harry heard Rose start.

"Yes, mother. We will," said Malfoy.

After hearing Mrs. Malfoy get out of the house, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got out of their hiding place (a broom cupboard to the left of the blue doors).

"What were you doing there?" Rose asked.

"Oh, uhm, we were – " started Hermione, Ron nodding vigorously behind her.

"Hiding from my mother?" Malfoy suggested.

"Well, er…"

"So, Rose, who's gonna be your date for the Ball?" Ron asked.

It was already eight thirty in the evening; the Ball was to start at nine. They were back inside the Bridgework Castle, Harry remaining silent all through their journey. The sixth years' common room was empty. Students, apparently, were too busy preparing for the Ball in their own dormitories.

"Have you decided who you'll come with?" asked Hermione. Ron and Hermione had no problem this time. Ron had asked Hermione to go to the Ball with him on the train back to Bridgework.

"Well, no…"

"It's okay," Harry said in a rather croaky voice. "You can go with Malfoy."

"What? Potter? Giving way to me? I'm shocked, Potter," said Malfoy.

"Wh – Harry? Why – "

"It's all right. You heard Malfoy's mum… Better send her those pictures," said Harry trying, and failing to smile. His throat had gone dry.

"Oh, Harry, but you'll have to go with Iris Lair instead! She's horrible," said Hermione in a kind of miserable whisper.

"Harry, we can take those pictures even without – "

"I'd be better off with Lair tonight, I think!" Harry yelled before he could stop himself. Rose stared at him silently, shocked, for a moment. Then she spoke in a forced calm voice.

"Better off with her tonight, is it?" she said, her voice full of supressed rage. "I do not compare myself to her… But I was just wondering why you think so…" Harry turned and walked toward the stairs to the boys' dormitory, intending to climb it, but he stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned.

"I said, that's what I think," Harry said in forced calm too. Rose walked up to him.

"Why then? Why do you think so? And why are you so angry anyway? Is this another bout of the Potter-Malfoy rivalry?"

"It doesn't matter."

"No, actually, it matters," said Rose with an annoyed smile. "You see, what you think _always_ matters."

"How d'you mean – "

"You are always like this! When I forget to tell you things you get angry! Now, doesn't what you think count?" said Rose. Harry was hardly aware of what was happening around him, except for Rose.

"_I get angry?_ When did I get angry? You don't know… You don't know me! And I don't know you either!" Harry yelled.

He had dragged Claire's warning into it. He did not mean to, but he just did not understand. He wished Rose would help him, but she didn't. He did not know whether she was lying, telling him that she was not dreaming of the same thing, or she was just keeping things from Harry. He did not know if he trusted her anymore. And now, he knew perfectly well she had to pick Malfoy over him. He was giving them the freedom. What was she so angry about, then? It was Harry who had the right to be angry! Rose doesn't care about how he feels!

"Oh, I know you! You're _a little hero who doesn't know when to be brave!_" laughed Rose.

"What d'you mean I don't know when to be brave?"

"Argh! _Anata wa taihen muzai no desu!_ You are _so naïve_, Potter!"

"What!"

"I don't know you? So tell me, what have I missed about the great and famous Harry Potter?"

"You don't know me…"

"Oh yeah? What mystery do you still – " 

Harry did not know what made him do it. And in front of his friends too. It wasn't the best place at all. Rose was yelling at him, and next thing he knew, he had his hands clasped tightly around Rose's jaws and they were kissing. Harry did not see any vision of Sirius or anything, and he was quite sure his urge to touch Rose was his own.

Harry pulled away and opened his eyes. Rose opened her eyes at the same time and stared at Harry, even more shocked, slightly breathless. Nobody said a word. Harry stared at Rose and Rose stared back. Harry did not dare look at Ron and Hermione, least of all Malfoy, who Harry was sure was just enraged.

"_What_ are you still doing here?" said voice from the marble steps. It was Professor Eugene. "The Ball is to start in fifteen minutes! You need to prepare yourselves! Especially you two ladies!" she nodded rather furiously at Hermione and Rose. "Go on, now. Both of you."

Eugene marched Hermione and Rose, who were both still looking shocked, up to their dormitories. Rumbling footsteps told them the sixth years were coming down, and as they crowded the common room, Harry lost sight of Malfoy, who looked too appalled to speak. Harry and Ron went up to their dormitory together and dressed silently for the Ball.


	14. Zelosus

Pressuring, this is… Chapter 14 here! "Zelosus" is Latin, I think, for "jealousy…"

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 14: Zelosus**

Balls at Bridgework allowed the students to dress up in formal Muggle attire. Almost all the boys wore tuxedos and the color variation in the crowd rested among the girls who were wearing long gowns of every color possible. Harry saw one wearing a hot pink dress, decorated with flowers and all. But the cases of rather nasty dresses were occasional, and Harry was pleased to see that Iris Lair had had the sense not to wear anything that attracted too much attention, as he was so sure Lair was the type of person who would want to draw attention to herself and Harry.

Apparently, the news of Rose going with Malfoy to the Ball reached Lair's ears rather fast, so that she waited for Harry to descend to the common room.

"Ready, Harry?" said Lair in a wide smile that showed her even white teeth. They looked like snow against her blood red lips. She was wearing a purple dress that fell down to above her knees.

"Er, yeah… I guess so," replied Harry in a slightly worried tone. Lair entwined one arm into his and steered him out of the common room, heading towards the dining hall.

His anger had passed, but Harry was not sure whether he felt okay again. He had hoped that the kiss would make it clear to Rose what he had been fuming about, but he was not sure whether Rose got the idea, for Eugene arrived even before he had the chance to explain.

"_Harry Potter and Iris Lair?"_

"_I was so sure he'd go with Ashworth!"_

"_He asked Lair instead of Ashworth?"_

People around them hissed as they passed. Lair just kept on beaming at everybody. He did not know whether Lair was just pretending to be nice, or she wasn't hearing them at all.

Lair had steered Harry right in front of one of the circular tables. Only three other people were sitting around it.

"Hello, I'm Alyssa Wu," said the first girl. She had long brown curly hair, and wore a simple pink dress. She reached out her hand and Harry shook it.

"Harry Potter," he muttered.

"Ah, yes… The Gryffindor Seeker… You do remember me? Alex Yu?" said the boy next to Alyssa. Harry remembered him. He was the speaker of the Quidditch talk that happened just that morning.

"Yeah, I remember you," said Harry, shaking hands with Alex Yu.

"Raven Annette Lyndon," said the last girl in a bored voice. She was wearing black.

"Rave, she's my date," said Lair beside Harry. At this, Raven shook Harry's hand rather reluctantly. "Rave… She's just always like that, Harry. But she doesn't - not like you – "

"Who said so?" said Raven.

"Shut up," said Lair jokingly. "Harry, Rave's my best friend. We've been friends since four."

Harry was starting to wonder when the Ball would end. More and more people joined them in their table, but Harry did not need to introduce himself anymore. The people knew him better than he knew himself.

"Harry Potter? Yes, I heard you do your bit in the Triwizard Tournament last year," said a bossy looking boy.

"Mmm, yes… I know you. A year of persecution from the media wasn't it? With all that stuff about You-Know-Who?" said a Rita Skeeter lookalike.

Harry looked around. He spotted Ron and Hermione with Seamus, Dean, Parvati and Lavender in one of the tables. Hermione looked pretty in her beige gown, and Ron looked strangely dazed. He was gazing at Hermione, who was talking to Lavender and Parvati. Seamus and Dean were sniggering silently at Ron.

Several tables down, Harry saw a group of Slytherins that included Malfoy. Beside him (Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt) was Rose, who had her hair down, reminding Harry painfully of Claire once more, wearing a dress that looked oddly familiar. The dress, which fell to the floor, was a sleeveless long gown of red satin under black laces. Harry could not remember where he had seen the dress before.

She was talking rather dispiritedly to Malfoy (Harry felt a pang of guilt), who was beaming at her. To Malfoy's right was Pansy Parkinson, who looked irritated and kept scowling in Hermione's direction. When her neck got tired of looking that way, she would scowl at Rose instead.

Music played. People got up and decided to dance to it.

"Do you want to dance, Harry?" asked Lair at once.

"Er, can we just – wait a moment? Can we dance later?" said Harry distractedly. Rose and Malfoy had just got up to dance.

"Is it Ashworth?" said Lair. Harry turned to look at her. "It's okay. You owe me a dance, okay? Later."

Rose and Malfoy waded their way across the dance floor. As he watched, Harry could not help but regret that he let Rose go with Malfoy. He could have been the one who was now dancing with her. His eyes followed them as they turned. The music played a piano piece.

'Cause I have learned that love is beyond what human can imagine More it clears, the more I gotta let you go 

_That's why I don't understand_

_Just why I'm feeling so bad now_

_When I know it was my idea_

_I could've just denied the truth and lied_

_But why am I the only one standing_

_Stranded on the same ground_

"Harry? Can we dance now?" said Lair suddenly.

"What? Oh – yeah… Let's go," Harry got up. He and Lair glided along the floor too. Rose was now dancing with Ron. Harry watched in the corner of his eyes.

"How was Lair, Harry?" said Hermione. She, Harry, and Ron were making their way back to the sixth years' dormitory, walking down one of the corridors.

"What d'you mean?"

"Er, was she okay?" said Ron.

"Hey! Wait!" said Malfoy, catching up with them.

"What're you doing here now?" said Ron, as though disgusted.

"What?" said Malfoy.

"How did you manage to get rid of Crabbe and Goyle now?" said Hermione.

"Oh the usual stuff," said Malfoy airily. Harry looked the other way. He did not want to talk to Malfoy, he would just have to stand Malfoy's anger. "What's your problem now, Potter?"

"I don't have a problem…" muttered Harry.

"Oh yeah… You don't… I have a problem with you," said Malfoy.

"If you came here just to – " Harry's words were cut short. They heard a loud shriek from the girls' bathroom down the hallway. There were no people in the corridor except for them, so they hurried into the bathroom.

"Rose!" Hermione exclaimed. It was indeed Rose. Her back was against the wall and she was choking for air. In front of her, clutching her throat was –

"Oy, Lair! What're you doing?" said Ron, he and Malfoy hurrying forward. They pulled Lair back away from Rose. Rose had fainted. Hermione was heaving her on her lap. Harry rushed to her side to help.

"Is she okay?" said Harry.

"Yes… She was just – she just lost consciousness…" said Hermione, breathless. "Why did she – " she started. She glared at Lair, who was held back by Ron and Malfoy. She was smiling madly, looking at Rose's lifeless form.

"Iris, what is the meaning of this!" yelled Malfoy. He helped Ron pin her to the floor. Lair gave a deranged laugh.

"Don't you know!" Harry yelled across to Malfoy. "She hates Rose!"

"Yes, I know she hates Rose! But she doesn't hate her enough to kill her, Potter!" Malfoy said in a strangled yell.

"I'd better get someone," said Hermione. She gave Harry Rose and got up. "Keep her still, Harry," she said to Harry. "And don't let that – that monster move until I come back with a teacher," she shot a furious glance at Lair, who sneered back at her.

Harry looked at Rose. Great red scratches were on her neck. And her wrists were red too. Harry also noticed tears still wet on her cheeks.

"Malfoy, when did you last see Rose before you caught up with us?"

"Just right before. She said she had something to do… Wait, Iris talked to her at the Ball, didn't you see?"

"No… I didn't…"

Five minutes or so had passed when Hermione arrived, accompanied by Professor Yamamoto, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Professor McGonagall.

"Goodness! What happened here!" exclaimed McGonagall. Yamamoto bent over Rose.

"Minerva, I think we need to bring her to the clinic _immediately_," she said quietly.

Professor Yamamoto rushed down the hallway to the school clinic carrying Rose, Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy hurtling along her side. Ron accompanied McGonagall in taking Lair to Professor Eugene.

"How long ahs she been this way?" Yamamoto asked breathlessly.

"About five – or ten minutes – Professor," said Hermione to her right.

"_Five to ten minutes!_ How did it take so long!" said Yamamoto.

"Will she be okay?" asked Harry apprehensively.

"We are not sure of that," replied Yamamoto.

"_What!"_ said Malfoy. "She's in no serious danger, is she?" Malfoy voiced out what Harry was dreading.

"I'm afraid she is," said Yamamoto quietly. "A curse like this…" she said, shaking her head.

"Is – is there a possibility that – that she'll – " Hermione stuttered, her eyes going red.

"I do not wish so… But she might end up – like that…"

_Let's talk this over_

_It's not like we're dead_

_Was it something I did?_

_Was it something you said?_

_Don't leave me hanging in a city so dead_

_Held up so high on such a breakable thread_

An hour passed… Two hours… Still, Yamamoto had not come out from the inside of the clinic. Harry had started pacing the short corridor. Hermione was sitting in one of the chairs. Malfoy stood in a dark corner, head bowed. Three hours… Four and a half… Harry checked his watch. It was already three thirty. It must be nearly dawn… At last, at long last, Miss Jessely, the Bridgework nurse, emerged. She looked excessively tired, but she was wearing a smile that could have meant only one thing.

"She's okay…" she said. She stood back to let Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy enter. Inside was a room similar to the Hospital Wing back at Hogwarts. On one of the beds lay Rose, asleep but Harry thought she looked a lot better. She was safe.

'What – " Harry started. But Yamamoto, who was sitting on a chair placed beside Rose's bed, cut him.

"She was attacked by the Curse of Zelosus…"

"What's that?" said Harry and Malfoy together.

"The curse of jealousy…" said Hermione.

"What does it do?" Harry turned to her.

"A person overcome by grave jealousy involuntarily initiates the curse… Once it activates, the person tends to lose control… He can be capable of any crime… He can – kill…" said Hermione.

"But will she be okay now?" said Malfoy to Yamamoto.

"She will be fine… But she will need time to rest.

The next day, Miss Jessely told Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Rose had awoken and that no lasting damage has been done to her. She made it clear, however, that she would not release Rose until she was satisfied that Rose was back in perfect condition.

"Honestly, she sounds like Madam Pomfrey," said Ron after their visit. "I wonder if they're related."


	15. End of the Dream

I can't believe I've reached the fifteenth chapter! Wow… Anyways… Here it is…

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 15: End of a Dream**

Three days later, Harry found Rose in the library. Books lay scattered on a table between two long, large shelves of enormous books.

"What're you doing?" said harry, approaching the secluded table.

"I'm doing a piece of homework, if you can't see," replied Rose coldly without looking up.

"Er, what subject for?" said Harry, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"It's for Potions, if you can't read," she replied in the same cold tone. Harry remained silent for a moment.

"Are you still mad at me?" asked Harry.

"No," said Rose.

"Then, why won't you talk?" said a confused Harry.

"I _am_ talking. But I'm still irritated about what you did," she replied flatly.

"Er… Was it… about the kiss?"

"No."

"So you liked it, huh?" Rose looked daggers at him. "Okay, so not the kiss. What did I do…? Something about… You said I was naïve?" Roes made a noise of approval. "You said – you said something Japanese… Ana – anata? Anata wa taiho… No, not that… Anata wa tai – "

_"Anata wa taihen muzai no desu,"_ finished Rose.

"Yeah, that… What does that mean?"

"'You are so innocent,'" said Rose.

"What? What's this all me being naïve and innocent thing?" Rose made an impatient and irritated noise. Harry sighed. "Okay… I don't understand, all right? But anyway, why aren't you mad at me?"

"Do you want me to get mad at you?" said Rose testily.

"No! So… so you like Malfoy, don't' you? I mean, you'd choose him over me, won't you?"

"No."

"You like me better than Malfoy?" said Harry incredulously.

"No," repeated Rose. Harry blinked.

"Are you giving us an even footing?" asked Harry.

"No," said Rose for the fifth time in the conversation. Finally, she looked at Harry. "I'm not giving _you_ or _Draco anything_."

"You don't like both of us?"

"Just – drop it, will you? You and Draco are my friends. But I don't like you because you two are such airheads with boiling tempers when you don't even know your cute little selves," she said, turning back to the large book she was holding, flipping through the pages. "Unless you figure out what I mean with you being innocent _and _naïve, I don't want to talk about this again. Now back off, little hero, because I still have loads to do without you adding to the lot."

Harry was caught speechless.

"_Honestly!_ Courting sessions are _not_ allowed in the library! Now, off with you two! Go on! Take those books and do your sickly sweet talks somewhere else!" shrieked the librarian, Yahiko-sensei, whom Harry expected to be gay, in his Japanese accent. Yahiko-sensei was rumored to hate lovers, and some say that he had given detention to a couple he saw walking down a corridor hand in hand.

_In these eyes, more than words, more than anything that I've spoken_

_As the skies turn to grey my heart's just about to crack open_

_So the story goes_

_There's something you should know_

_Before I walk away and I blow the ending_

_I never wanna be without you_

_Oh no, here I go_

_Now you know what I feel about you_

_There's no running_

_I must've been wrong to doubt you_

_Oh no, there I go, no control_

_And I'm falling so now you know_

Harry felt lighter the next few days. He was back on speaking terms with Rose, and Liar was given a month's worth of detentions as her punishment for trying to kill Rose. The incident, however, spread like wild fire, and everyone at Bridgework seemed to suddenly care much more about the Ashworth-Lair rivalry. Harry heard rumors about the Ashworths and the Lairs, how they used to be close families, and how they came to fight later on. Harry did not know which was true, but did not dare ask Rose.

"So, are we staying here for Christmas?" asked Harry during dinner a week before December.

"What d'you mean?" said Ron after swallowing a mouthful of roast chicken.

"Are we allowed to go back to London or Hogwarts for a vacation?" said Harry.

"No. I just went to ask Professor McGonagall earlier, and she said we can't go back to Hogwarts. But she said we could stay at an inn up at Castlerest if we want a different view, if we want to get away from Bridgework for some time," said Hermione. Harry's spirits slightly descended.

"Great! We can stay at Rose's!" exclaimed Ron, spitting bits of chicken everywhere. "How about it, Rose?"

"Yes, that's great…" replied Rose, though unenthusiastically.

"Whassamatter?" said Harry in his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Don't get me wrong… I do want you there. But, I can't come with you. I have to go somewhere during the vacation… But you can still stay there without me!" Rose explained.

"That's fine – " Ron started, but Hermione shot him a fierce glance and talked.

"Rose, we can't stay there without you! I mean, you own the house! And, how will we ever understand Mrs. Sanada and all those Japanese people who stay there?"

"Sanada-san knows a little bit of English too. And Draco… I expect he'll want to go with you. He knows a little Japanese too…" said Rose.

"Yeah, that'll be okay – _Ouch!_" Hermione did something to stop Ron from talking.

"But what's the point in staying at your house if you're not there?" said Harry now. Rose gave a little smile.

"I will visit once in a while… You will see me there… Please come… The house needs guests, you know," her smile became broader.

"Well, okay but – "

"Where are you going anyway?" said Ron suddenly. Rose was not able to speak. Harry had the feeling she was trying to keep it out of the subject.

Hermione seemed to think so too, so she shot at Ron, "That is absolutely none of your business where she wants to go! You're lucky enough she let you stay at her house!"

Rose gave a laugh to cover her worried eyes.

December came in a blizzard. The grounds were covered in feet of snow, and it was impossible to see the outside through fogged windows. Mostly, Bridgework students were the ones who went for a vacation. The few Hogwarts students who went out, too, were those who had made friends with Bridgework students and agreed to visit their homes scattered all over Japan.

"This is where we part, I guess," said Rose, when they reached the train station.

"_Why_ are you talking like that?" said Malfoy dramatically, holding Rose's hands in his own. Rose laughed.

"You'll be going on the train to Castlerest as we did before. You're going East. I'm going West. I'll be heading for Swordswing up in Nishi Tora," said Rose.

"We'll be miles apart, then…" said Malfoy in the same dramatical voice. "Take care, Rose…"

"Cut the crap, Malfoy!" said Ron.

"See you, then," said Harry.

"Take care, Rose!" said Hermione.

They made to go up the train; first was Hermione, then Ron. When it was Harry's turn, Rose gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, and Malfoy's eyes widened. Rose gestured for Harry, who stared too, to go on the train already. Malfoy was still staring at her when she gave him, too, a kiss on the cheek. Malfoy flushed.

"You two are just love struck, aren't you?" said Ron. The train was journeying slowly to Castlerest. They got a compartment all to themselves.

"Shut up, Weasley," snarled Malfoy. He turned to the window and leaned his head on it. He was gazing outside, though there was nothing really interesting for everything was covered in snow.

"But Harry seems to be in a much more ecstatic condition than Malfoy, doesn't he?" said Hermione to Ron. They both grinned.

"What?" said Harry, trying to look innocent.

"_Puh-lease!_ You've been smirking nonstop since you got on the train?" said Hermione.

All in all, Harry had enjoyed his month's stay at Rose's house. Nowhere had he felt more pampered, but he did not dare go over the limit. He treated Sanada and the other servants nicely, as he had seen Rose do so. Ron was right; Rose had grown up with them, and she treated them as her family. The servants, too, love Rose as their own daughter, and respect her deeply.

On one of the evenings, Sanada-san even brought a large photo album containing Rose's baby pictures. Everyone in the household just seemed to adore her.

"It was them Ashworths who doesn't know how precious she is," said Sanada-san. She was very poor in English but they understood her story. "They never give her any importance when they was alive. But even they're bad attitude towards her, we servants still feel sorry that Rosu-san never get to know her family."

"Erm, Sanada-san? How did – how did Rose find out that her family died? How did you tell her?" asked Hermione.

"Oh…" said Sanada-san. "That was difficult. We did not knew when to tell Rosu-sama, or how… But Eugene-sensei and Dumbledore-sensei told us that we were not keeping the truth from her… That we should tell her," she sighed. "So, we tell her when she was four years old, when she started asking questions. She is very brave, Rosu-sama. We explain everything to her, and she just nod and say yes… She show she understood… She don't let anyone see her crying…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"After we tell her what happened to Ashworth family, she acted normal in front of us. Smiling, very cheerful. But we know, she cry in her room at night. Silent, of course. Even in grieving, she don't want anyone to know her pain…"

There was a very pregnant pause. Hermione seemed to be fighting back tears again. Malfoy was staring determinedly at the floor. Ron kept making odd gulping noises. Sanada-san continued peering over them. Harry was thinking things over.

If he had known at an early age what truly happened to his parents, would he have acted the same? He did not know. He was convinced, for ten years, that his parents died in a car crash. He was too busy saving himself from the Dursleys' attempts to terrorize his life. He did not pause to think, to reflect, that perhaps his life would be different had he known his parents.

"When Rosu-sama turned five years old, she meet the Malfoys," Sanada-san continued, smiling at Draco Malfoy, who had looked up when he heard the name. "I think you know, Drako-sama, Rosu-sama did not like Malfoys much. But she was happy seeing Malfoys, they were the closest thing to a family she find."

Harry felt more sorry for Rose. The Dursleys, however nasty they were, were still blood relatives of Harry's. Rose's whole clan, all of the Ashworths, were gone. The closest thing to a family she had were the Malfoys, who were not even related to her.

"Things were worse for Rosu-sama when she meet the Lairs. Lairs were close to Ashworths before, when You-Know-Who isn't in power. They put all sort of thing in Rosu-sama's mind. Things about Ashworths that wasn't true. Rosu-sama know better, however, and she wasn't influenced.

"She grow up on her own, I must say… She don't have family, yet she is very strong to go on her own… I must say, like you, Hari-sama," she smiled at Harry.

"But… she wasn't alone, was she? I mean, she had you… All of you to look after her," said Hermione to Sanada-san.

"We are here to serve Rosu-sama… Her family's money bind us to do so… But she prove to us she worth more than the money Ashworths leave her. We raise her as a baby because of orders of older Ashworths. But we did not think of leave her when they died. The baby need us. When she grew up, she bring joy to us. She learn fast, very brave, understanding to us…

"In her first year at Bridgework, she prove that she can handle herself without anyone look after her. Before she start second year, we told her it is time we servants leave. We know she can stand on her own. But she plead us not to leave. She mention anything but pay raise! We decide to stay, but I ask her why she don't mention pay raise. She say that she don't believe money will make us servants stay. She say we were more than servants to her, that raise will not show how she feel for us. She tell us we are her family…

"With that, she prove to us that she know her priorities right. She know what is right and wrong. She grow up by herself, because we never tell her what is right and wrong. For a servant never scold her master. But she still know. She still grow up…"

Harry had never understood Rose better. It seemed as though the only mystery was who Claire was. He did not have the guts, however, to investigate about Rose or Claire through her servants who seemed to respect her very much. One sleepless night turned into two; two turned into four;nights without sleep.He was so eager to get back to Bridgework and tell Rose about all that he had found out. He was dying to tell Rose that he'd understood him. He wanted to comfort Rose.

"Claire? Why are you crying?" asked Harry. Claire sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.

"I'm – I'm just so happy, Harry," she replied betweed sobs.

"Why? What happened?" said Harry.

"You – you finally know her… You understand now… You should understand now…"

"Who? Rose?"

"Harry, this is the last time I will see you here… Even if you don't understand why this dream occurred with me in it, I know you will understand what will come in the future…"

"How d'you mean?"

"The next time you have a vision of this place, you will not see me here anymore… I am very grateful to have met you, Harry… Thank you, Harry! Take care!"

"No, wait! Why? Where are you going?"

"_I care about you, Harry…_ No matter what happens, I will always care about you… So always take care of yourself… Farewell, Harry!"

"_No… No… Don't… Don't go…"_

"Potter? Oy, Potter!" said Malfoy's voice. Harry opened his eyes. Draco Malfoy was peering over him, a look of irritation on his face. He had probably woken Malfoy up. "What's the matter with you?"

"What? Why? Why'd you wake me up?" said Harry, trying to recall his dream.

'You were _moaning_ in your sleep, Potter. _'No… Don't go…'_ Whom were you talking to?" Malfoy teased.

Harry realized. Claire was saying farewell. She mentioned something about what will happen in the future. She said that Harry should understand… something… What was that something Harry should understand? He could not remember. Harry had a bad feeling about Claire's farewell, like he was going to lose something too. He felt as though something was going to go along with Claire's departure, something important to him.


	16. Kurochan

Chapter 16 here! Hey, sorry for the recent typographical errors, okay? By the way, this is kinda the shortest chapter here. But anyways…

**

* * *

Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 16: Kuro-chan**

"I don't know, Harry… Maybe it's just a dream after all – "

"It isn't a dream, Hermione!" Harry hissed. "How many times do I have to say it? It's real!"

They were back in the sixth years' common room in Bridgework. December was almost over and most of the school was still on vacation so that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had the whole common room to themselves.

"Listen, I haven't told you something," said Harry, lowering his voice.

"Yeah? What haven't you told us, Potter?" a drawling voice came from the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Draco Malfoy emerged. "You have to know, Potter, that lowering your voice does not work when it is all quiet like this," he smirked.

"What is it, Harry?" said Ron eagerly.

"I don't want to tell _him_ anything," said Harry, nodding his head in Malfoy's direction. Malfoy settled himself in a chair beside Harry.

"That's fine with me," he said. Harry sighed.

"Okay… This is – this is gonna sound all weird, okay?" he said, half wanting not to tell them at all, and half wanting to get over with it fast. "Once or twice… I can't really remember… I suddenly see a – a vision, I think… Like, a scene from the dream – "

"What dream?" said Malfoy.

"We'll tell you later," said Hermione.

"Yeah, shut up for a moment," said Ron. Malfoy scowled at him, but turned back to Harry. Harry continued.

"I see Sirius and the woman kissing… And then," Harry inhaled slowly, as though bracing himself. Ron and Hermione waited with baited breath. Malfoy looked confused. "And then, when I come to my senses… I – I realize we're… we're – doing that too…"

Hermione looked confused too. Ron smirked. Malfoy had an expression of mixed confusion and anger.

"You mean…" Hermione started. "You and Rose?" she asked. "You're doing that too… You're kissing?" Harry slowly nodded. Ron howled with laughter. Malfoy's face slowly turned red.

"Is that why – is that why before the ball – " he started.

"No, that was different. That was – " Harry started, but he realized, too late, that he had said too much. Malfoy gripped the arms of his own chair and started yelling furiously at Harry.

"I KNEW RIGHT FROM THE START, POTTER! AND YOU TRIED TO DENY IT! YOU WANT HER! YOU WANT TO STEAL HER FROM ME!"

"THAT IS NOT THE SUBJECT HERE, MALFOY!" said Hermione, yelling equally loud. Malfoy was startled. "Now, if you please, we don't have to talk about that right now. You two can settle that on your own. Not in front of us. RON, WILL YOU SHUT UP?" she added, so that Ron suddenly stopped laughing.

"Look!" said Harry suddenly.

Outside the window was, not an owl, but a black crow, a cream envelope attached to its leg. Hermione opened the window and let the crow in. It landed on Harry's lap. Harry untied the envelope and the crow immediately took off, out of the same window. He looked at the envelope, but there was no name on it. He looked confusedly at the others, and they just looked back as confused. He slit open the envelope.

_Dear Harry,_

_I am awfully sorry that I was not able to visit while you were at Castlerest. I apologize, for I am really busy._

_I have heard that you, Hermione, Ron, and Draco are back at Bridgework now. I hope you had a nice time at home._

_Sanada-san also wrote to me, telling me that you had some time to chat with her. She says she is very pleased to have met you, and that she wishes to see you again on another time back at home._

_I am really sorry that I was not able to spend Christmas time with the four of you, but I will be back soon. I will make it up to you guys! Please mention my apologies to Hermione, Ron, and Draco as well._

Rose 

_PS The crow that brought this is Kuro-chan. I've had him since I was four. He's as good as an owl. He's really nice. I hope you didn't get scared of him!_

"How come she wrote you and not us?" said Malfoy suddenly. Harry shrugged.

"Will you shut up, Malfoy? Don't ruin Harry's moment of glory!" said Ron. Harry threw a pillow at him.

January came in a blaze of sunshine. The weather could not be better. Perfect Quidditch conditions, as Alex Yu had hinted during one morning at breakfast.

"The days of Quidditch Playoffs will be posted later this week," he said, after Harry approached him.

"You seem to be in a really good mood today, Harry," said Hermione as they went to their first class.

"What? Oh, yeah… Quidditch season, you know," replied Harry, trying hard not to smirk.

"Right… So, do you want to practice tonight?" said Ron. "I mean, Quidditch season _is _starting. You wouldn't miss that just for Rose's arrival, would you?" Ron teased.

"Shut up," said Harry.

Rose was to arrive that night. It had been one week since the start of January, and she was returning only now. Harry was slightly worried that something went wrong with her trip. But she wrote on Wednesday morning saying that she was arriving Monday next week.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy approached the back door of the castle. It was one of those hidden passages. The back door led to a horse stable just outside the back of the castle. Rose told them that she was going through there when she arrives.

The oak doors opened, and in came Rose, a black coat on her, followed by Severus Snape.

"What are you doing here?" said Snape quietly in his cold voice. He approached Harry and the others. It seemed like he did not want Rose to hear their conversation.

"We were waiting for Rose, sir," said Hermione calmly.

"And for what reason is that?" he said.

"Because we want to see her!" said Ron, louder than he intended to.

"Why do you want to see her?" said Snape, his eyes narrowing.

"She wrote us, telling that she'd arrive tonight. So we're here!" said Harry through gritted teeth.

"Professor, were you with Rose during the holidays?" asked Malfoy innocently.

"That is none of your business," he said slowly. "She has been writing to you? When did she last send you a letter?" said Snape, looking rather worried.

"Last Wednesday," said Harry. Snape's worried look was quickly replaced with a smirk.

"That will be all," he said. "Go back to your dormitories."

"What? We want to see her," said Harry. A house elf approached Rose and she gave her coat to it. Malfoy walked up to her.

"Rose, how are you? What did you do at Swordswing?" he said conversationally. Snape looked as though he was going to burst. Why did he not want Harry and the others to talk to Rose? Rose just stared at Malfoy. Harry approached too.

"Rose, why doesn't he want us to talk to you? What's his problem?" Rose's stare turned into a questioning look.

"Have we met?" Snape's lips curled into an evil smile once more.


	17. Oblivion

Okay, chapter 17 here… I'm getting kinda lazy so it's getting kinda slow as well but anyways, I'm still glad I could hand this out to you guys, so on to the seventeenth chapter…

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 17: Oblivion**

"What do you mean 'Have we met?'!" Malfoy yelled, sounding panicky. Harry, however, stared, too confused to speak. Was what he was thinking real? Had Rose lost her memory.

"Of course, you have met, Rose…" said Snape slowly. "You study in the same school… But you don't know each other personally."

"_What!"_ Malfoy rounded on Snape. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean what I say, Draco," said Snape in the same cold tone. "Why don't you ask her…"

"Rose, what's he talking about?" said Harry quietly to Rose. "You – you haven't had your memory erased, have you?"

"My memory? Erased! That's funny!" laughed Rose airily. Even her manners seemed to have changed. Her usual respectable, sophisticated self was replaced with an airy, gloating expression.

"Rose," said Hermione in an almost pleading tone. "D – don't you know who we are? Don't you really remember us?" she seemed close to tears. It seemed to move Rose a bit.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "Sorry, but – I really don't know you…"

Harry had his own suspicion. He was thinking that Snape might have modified Rose's memory. He did not have the chance to investigate, however, until Wednesday on the third week of January.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" said Harry, taking his chances and pulling Rose away from a group of girls she was walking along the corridor with. Harry was slightly shocked, because the group included Iris Lair.

"What – Take your hands off me! What _is_ your problem?" hissed Rose. Harry had grabbed her by the elbow and was dragging her into an empty classroom.

"_You're_ my problem," he hissed back. "What happened to you?"

"Ah! _I'm_ your problem? Exactly _who_ had pulled me into this classroom? What do you want? I don't even know who you are!" she now yelled.

"You _know_ me. You just _don't remember_," said Harry, trying to stay calm and not start shouting too.

"Whatever…" said Rose under her breath. She settled on a dusty chair.

"Don't you remember _anything_?" said Harry, adopting the same almost pleading voice.

"Remember anything what?" said Rose irritably.

"You don't remember me?" Rose looked like she was ready to walk out on Harry. "Okay, you don't remember me… I think Snape must've done something with you, y'know – "

"Uh, Snape? Would Severus ever erase my memory? Do you know how we're related?"

"Yeah, I know he's your godfather but – "

"So what _is _your problem? Why are you – "

"Snape can do things…" Harry said quietly. Rose silenced. "Listen, sorry about this… I mean, he's your godfather… But I just don't trust him…"

"Why?" said Rose, getting up from her chair.

"It – it doesn't matter… Forget it – " Rose suddenly placed her arms around Harry's neck, and their faces were an inch apart.

"It _does_ matter…" she said slowly. Harry could feel her warm breath on his face. "Because it depends on the reason why you don't trust Severus if I'll forgive you or not…"

Harry froze and stared. He was not sure anymore whether it was really Rose. It could be that Snape had modified Rose's memory, but did he have to turn Rose into a flirt?

"So…" said Rose slowly again. "What do you think?" she whispered, purposefully putting her lips close to Harry's ear.

"What – " Harry started. Rose pressed her lips against his cheek. "Stop."

"What?" said Rose, detaching herself from Harry.

"What're you doing? What do you think you're doing?" said Harry, panicky once more. Rose looked at him, looking puzzled. "This is not you. You can't act this way. Get out of it, Rose! Wake up!"

"She _did _that?" said Hermione in a quietly shocked voice. She, Harry, and Ron were heading for their next class, Transfiguration, and Harry had just told them about Rose's actions back in the empty classroom.

"Maybe Snape didn't mean to turn her into that," said Ron smartly. "Maybe it's just a side effect of some – Harry, where're you going?" For Harry had turned around and walked the other way.

"I'm going to talk to Snape. I've got to – "

"Could you at least save it for until after the lessons?" said Hermione impatiently, pulling Harry by the neck of the robes.

So Harry waited until their lessons for that day ended. At six in the evening, Ron and Hermione accompanied Harry to the Potions classroom.

"Potter, what do you think you're doing?" said Snape in his usual cold tone as Harry bust into the room. Snape was sitting behind the desk in front of chairs.

"Tell me what you did to Rose," said Harry. He was trying to keep his temper low though he felt really angry at Snape for, he was quite sure, meddling with Rose's memory.

"I did not do anything to her, Potter… Dear, you came all the way here just to bark at me about that?" said Snape, sneering.

"_What did you do to her?"_ said Harry through gritted teeth. Ron and Hermione made no sound behind him.

"Tell me something, Potter… You like Rose, don't you?" he paused. "But do you _love_ my goddaughter?" his sneer widened. "She is my goddaughter, and she has no parent left. I am the closest to a father she has. You hate me, Potter. Tell me, are you willing to put up with me all for the sake of your _love_ for my… yes, _daughter_?" Snape seemed to be enjoying taunting Harry about Rose.

"I don't care if you're Rose's godfather," said Harry. "I care about Rose and I want to know what you did to her and why you did it!"

"Don't give em your puppy love reasons, Potter. You care for her? I let you see each other and go out, but you will never go as far as marrying my goddaughter, Potter," said Snape. "I did not do anything to harm Rose… If you must know, it was Dumbledore's orders – "

"Dumbledore ordered you to erase Rose's memory?" said Ron suddenly.

"Precisely, Weasley," said Snape, a smirk blooming afresh on his lips.

"But – why?" said Hermione in a whisper.

"I believe I am in no obligation to tell you," said Snape.

"_Tell me,"_ hissed Harry, placing his hands on Snape's desk.

"Rose Ashworth bears a mission," started Snape, siting back on his chair. He crossed his legs, leaned backward and crossed his arms across his chest. "A mission to destroy the Dark Lord. She was destined, cursed. She was to meet the other destined and together, they shall defeat the Dark Lord. That was the plan and nothing else. It was not in the plan for them to fall in love."

Harry was shocked. So Rose _was_ falling in love with him? Snape leaned forward on his desk and continued.

"Believe me, Potter. Catching Rose Ashworth falling in love is no joke for the people who have seen her grow up. She was far more cold hearted than anyone could ever imagine… And you managed to make her fall for you… But as I said, falling in love was not part of the plan… and will never be. The Order had decided that for her attention not to be averted from her mission, she cannot continue feeling this – so called 'love.'"

"But why'd you have to erase her memory? You can just – just remind her of this mission or something," said Harry.

"You still don't know her, do you? She grew up without a family, only servants. A hundred servants, in fact, who had spoiled her unintentionally, I guess. What she wants, she gets. She is as stubborn as – "

"Not talking about me, are you?" The doors of the room opened and in came Rose. "Only, I heard the word stubborn."

"What are you doing here, Rose? It isn't your day of visit to me," said Snape.

"Professor Dumbledore sent this with Kuro-chan," said Rose, waving a cream envelope.

"If it's for me, your crow should have brought it to me," said Snape, surveying Rose.

"But Kuro-chan is intelligent," she said, smiling. "If he feels I should know something, he does the work for me…" she continued, brandishing the envelope. "If Kuro-chan feels I should know what's in this letter, I'll take a look then," said Rose, attempting to slit open the envelope. Snape dashed forward and snatched the envelope from her. Rose turned around and walked away. When she reached the doors, she turned to Snape. "Oh, you might want to thank me," she said playfully. "But anyways, you're welcome… And, see you around," she added, winking at Harry.

"See? You haven't succeeded making her forget about Harry! You just made her like him more!" said Ron after Rose had disappeared behind the doors. Snape looked poisonous.

"Harry, I think you're over reacting," said Ron. They were walking back to the sixth years' common room, Harry in the lead. He was so enraged by Snape that this simple statement made an enormous effect on him.

"You know what? Maybe I am. I am for you," said harry heatedly.

"Harry, what do you mean?" said Hermione.

"I know you don't care whether Rose gets her memory back. All you care about is each other!" said Harry.

"Harry, mate? What're you on about?" said Ron, looking honestly confused.

"Listen, I know you two are together already, all right? But could at least pretend to be concerned about everything else?" said Harry.

"Wh – together? Us? Wait – How'd you know?" said Ron, stepping in front of Hermione as though shielding her from Harry.

"Harry, how did you find out?" said Hermione, stepping out of Ron's shadow. Harry saw her blush.

"Back at Castlerest… Christmas break…" said Harry, rather ashamed.

"Nah, we've been on since Halloween Ball – Ouch!" said Ron, Hermione stepping on his foot.

"Harry… I know you really – love Rose. We care about her too – "

"You don't show it," said Harry, reminded again of his anger. "Yeah, I love her, but I consider doing this as helping a friend!" he exclaimed. Realizing what he had just said, Harry felt the heat go to his face too.

Harry lay uncomfortably in bed. He had unintentionally established that he loved Rose. But did he really? That was easy to answer. Of course he loved Rose. He had felt it ever since he first met her. Even before that. When he saw her in his dream. But that wasn't Rose. Harry was brought back to earth with a heavy thud. He was reminded of Claire. If he asked Rose now, would her answer differ? If Rose really knew who Claire was, would she tell Harry now that her memory had been modified? It, too, was worth a shot.


	18. Black Valentine

Eighteenth chapter – I have to finish this soon – start of school here – I'm gonna get busy – I seriously hope I finish this fic on time… Oh yeah, really mushy and cheesy stuff ahead, WARNING… I mean, it's February in this chapter…

I am panicking already, do you notice?

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 18: Black Valentine**

February came in furious pink. Bridgework students, as Harry had seen, declared love and affection in very vulgar ways. A day into the so-called month of love and Bridgework boys were giving flowers and sweets to the girls. Some chose to send their greeting anonimously, while others declared in front of the whoel school.

Hogwarts students seemed to have caught the epidemic, too, for couples were to be seen walking hand in hand all along the corridors, including Ron and Hermione.

"Could you just quit it?" said Harry, turning to them.

"What?" said Ron.

"You two! You're already holding hands and all! Why do you have to smirk, smile and stuff!" hissed Harry.

"You're just jealous 'cause Rose's not with you!" Ron hissed back.

"Shut up, you two!" said Hermione, pushing them both forward so they'd start walking again. "But really, I wonder where Rose is."

"Oh, you know… Probably _with Malfoy_," teased Ron. He achieved the effect he wanted, so that Harry walked faster and did not talk to him until they reached the dining hall for lunch.

"Look! What're those boys cueing for?" said Ron. A long line of both Bridgework and Hogwarts boys stood along the center of the dining hall. The boys were carrying all sorts of flowers, wrapped in pink, baby blue, purple, etc. The front of the line ended with a table seating girls.

"Cueing for their _girls_," said Hermione. Harry noticed Alex Yu halfway down the line.

"What're you lining up for?" said Harry as he and Ron approached Yu.

"What? Oh…" he seemed to busy staring at the front of the line. "Er, Rose," he said shortly.

"What?" said Ron.

"Rose – Rose Ashworth…" Yu replied. He seemed rather shy than usual.

"What? Rose's getting these from you?" said Harry, pointing at the red roses Yu was carrying.

"Huh? Oh, well she isn't actually – getting them… She hasn't arrived for lunch yet… I don't know when she'll come…"

"These guys are mental," said Ron, shaking his head as he and Harry walked away.

Harry had not exactly give to Rose on Valentine's Day. He was just wondering if she'd agree to go with him when Rose came storming into the dining hall, obviously in a bad mood.

"Rose, these guys just won't settle down! They've been waiting for like an hour for you!" said a blonde girl on the table, obviously wanting her voice to carry around the hall.

"We told them you really didn't need those stuff they're carrying but they won't go away!" said Iris Lair.

"Tell them to go away, will you? They've been bugging us and we can't eat our lunch with them staring," said Raven Lyndon.

Alyssa Wu sat down the table. "Almost a hundred of them. Honestly, I didn't know you had these much admirers, Rose – "

"Shut up," said Rose.

"What?" Wu looked affronted.

"I told you to shut up," Rose said simply. She started on her food.

"What _are_ you going to do about all these people?" said Lyndon, irritated.

"Let them stand there. They'll get tired and go away."

"What is your problem?" said Wu.

"None of your business," said Rose, gulping juice.

The girls on the table had no choice but to start eating. The boys in the line realized that Rose was not in the mood to entertain them so they sulked back to their dining tables. Was the first to get up from the table. She left the other girls behind and disappeared through a corridor. Harry followed.

"Rose!" said Harry, catching up. Rose turned. "Er, I was wondering – "

"If it isn't innocent little Harry Potter!" said Rose in a rather annoying tone.

"What?"

"What do you want from me now?"

"Er, I – I was going to ask whether – whether – "

"Whether I'd gotten my memory back? Ha ha…"

"Do you want to go out with me on Valentine's Day?" said Harry hurriedly. Rose smirked.

"Three in the afternoon at the sixth years' common room," she said, and then she walked away. Harry stared, unable to believe what just happened.

February fourteenth, three o'clock in the afternoon came and went, and no Rose appeared in the sixth years' common room, so that Harry was to be found alone on a chair by the fire, slouched. It was already four twenty, and Harry was now feeling stupid. Perhaps Rose did not really want to go with him. Maybe she had already agreed to go with someone else, and just thought it would be funny to make Harry wait. Harry did not want to think that Rose intended to "hurt" him, but all the signs seemed to point only to it.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the boys' dormitory. The footsteps grew louder and louder until Harry saw Draco Malfoy emerge on the foot of the stairs.

"Malfoy?" said Harry.

"What're you doing here, Potter?" Malfoy replied rather glumly; not at all his usual self.

"What d'you mean what am I doing here?" said Harry.

"Aren't you with Rose? Aren't you going out with her today?" said Malfoy, his voice muffled. He had sat down on a chair opposite Harry and placed a pillow over his face.

"Is that what you're depressed about?" said Harry rather teasingly.

"She agreed to go out with me, y'know," said Malfoy. "She didn't come and I thought she's probably with you – "

"She agreed to go out with you?" said Harry. "When?"

"A few days ago… Why?" said Malfoy suddenly, removing the pillow. He straightened up. "What're you doing here? Why aren't you with her? Don't tell me you didn't ask her out?"

"I asked her on February first, for your information," said Harry. "Long before you did."

"But she didn't turn up on you either. That makes us equal – "

"But why would she say yes to both of us and not turn up on either of us?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe she just doesn't feel like going out – "

"Or maybe she's already going out with someone and she said yes to us just to get back at us for irritating her because we've been telling her that she's lost her memory!" said Malfoy. Harry hated to think Rose would be able to do that.

"You think she'd really do that?" said Harry. He glanced at Malfoy and saw his eyes widen, as though in horror. He, too, turned and saw Lucius Malfoy standing at the top of the stairs leading out of the common room.

"What're you doing here!" yelled Harry, getting up from his chair.

"Funny you should ask, Potter," he replied quietly.

"Father," Draco got up from his chair and approached his father.

"Were you having a chat with Potter, Draco?" harry knew it was time for some smart cover-up or Lucius Malfoy would brand his son as a traitor and Voldemort would kill him in no time.

"What? Oh no, Father! Me? Chat with Potter? Only when the raven turns white!" exclaimed Malfoy.

"Why would I have a chat with your son?" said Harry.

"We never know," said Lucius. "Draco, you need to help me… You need to help us."

"Who 'us'?" said Draco.

"The Death Eaters, Draco," came the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange from downstairs.

"Father, how did you – "

"Now is not the time for questions, Draco. I need you to stay here. Help guard Potter at the least," said Lucius.

"Help?"

"Miss Lair?" called Lucius. Iris Lair went up the marble steps.

"You!" said Harry, pointing at Lair.

"Yes… Me… Believe me, _Harry_. It was hard acting like I was actually _interested_ in you… But anyway, show's over so…" Lair took out her wand. "One wrong move, Potter. You know, you may think I'm powerless compared to Ashworth but I can still do Avada Kedavra…"

"Miss Lair, I suggest you go look for Rose first. Draco will remain here to guard Potter. I will be downstairs, attending to other matters."

In the swish of his cloak, Lucius Malfoy had gone. Lair followed shortly to look for Rose. Harry and Malfoy were alone in the common room once more.

"What the heck is all this about!" said Harry.

"I don't know, Potter!" hissed Malfoy. "But I think I'll have to pretend I'm not on your side, at least until I find out why they're here, how they got here, and what they're after!"

Hours passed and still nothing happened. Malfoy was pacing the length of the room. Harry was sitting on the carpet by the fire. At around seven thirty in the evening, Lucius Malfoy appeared at the foot of the marble stairs and summoned them both.

"Draco, take Potter to the dining hall. Bring him along to the others. I will meet you there shortly."

Harry had no idea what Lucius Malfoy meant by "the others" and looking at Draco Malfoy, he hardly knew as well. He just followed orders and brought Harry to the dining hall, where they found the rest of the sixth years bound and some, gagged. Malfoy looked at Harry meaningfully and Harry gave a small nod. Malfoy pushed him onto a chair and tied his hands with a rope. Looking around, Harry saw signs of struggle. Broken chairs, upturned tables, shards of broken glass. Familiar looking sixth years (probably from Slytherin, and others from Bridgework) were standing guard over the other students.

Just then, Lucius Malfoy came into view.

"Good evening, everyone," he said, sporting a malicious smile.

"I don't know much of good!" yelled Ron suddenly from the tangle of people in the center of the hall.

"Shut Weasley up," said Lucius conversationally. Crabbe approached Ron and tied a long piece of white cloth around his mouth.

"I can see you are all – very uncomfortable right now… You see, this is rather an emergency. As soon as certain matters are settled, you are to be brought to a more comfortable position," said Lucius, sneering.

Goyle approached and whispered something to Lucius. Lucius straightened up and turned back to the crowd.

"Bring them to the common room now," he said shortly. More than thirty students got up and ushered the rest who were tied up. Draco immediately placed a hand on Harry's shoulder as Crabbe approached.

"I'll take him, Crabbe. Take care of the rest," said Draco. Crabbe turned and left.

"Good acting," Harry muttered.

"Shut up. This isn't funny. I really don't know what's happening. Listen, you can work out signals, can't you? I mean, I know you're slow but you're not _that_ slow, are you?" said Malfoy.

"_What!"_

"Shh! Just, work it out when I do signals okay?" said Malfoy.

"Yeah, okay, I get it. I'm not _slow_."

Malfoy pulled Harry up from his chair "harshly" and led him to the back of the crowd. They walked silently back to the sixth years' common room. The "captives" were thrown to the center of the room, and the "Death Eaters-to-be" spread around them. Malfoy made it a point to stand in front of Harry. Harry could not help but feel grateful to him, however, for he had placed Harry between Ron, who was gagged, and Hermione. Lucius Malfoy arrived shortly afterward and surveyed the crowd.

"You do realize why we have kept you here?" he said, staring around. The crowd made indefinite noises but no one said anything distinct. "Perhaps you should blame Harry Potter being born," sneered Lucius.

"So it's me? Why don't you just set them free then?" said Harry. Goyle moved forward, as though to gag Harry, but Lucius stopped him.

"Let him talk. He is… ahh, our guest of honor…"

Iris Lair climbed up the stairs, pulling someone up with her. She was holding a girl by the forearm; Rose. Rose's hair was messed beyond recognition, and her clothes had an awful lot of dirt.

"Rose!" Draco hurried forward.

Rose had sank to her knees beside Lucius Malfoy. Draco, too, knelt and held Rose's face. Rose looked up at him and Harry thought that her eyes looked peculiarly blank.

"Rose? What – what happened to you?"

Rose looked frightfully at Lair, who had settled herself on a chair not far by, and started weeping all over Draco.

"Rose! Why're you – What did you do to her!" Draco yelled angrily at Lair.

"I caught her," said Lair smartly.

"_Caught her?"_ said Lucius.

"She was in the owlery. My suspicion is that she went there to send, or might have sent a letter to Dumbledore," replied Lair.

Draco seemed to think things over. Harry was sure Rose had been to the owlery to indeed send Dumbledore a letter, but worming her out of this through Draco was not easy; Draco was on Dumbledore's side as well.

"Rose, did you go to the owlery? To send Dumbledore a note of any kind?" said Draco in a rather fatherly fashion. Roes shook her head, still sobbing into Draco.

"Miss Lair, you have not _duelled_ with Rose, have you? For her to be in this state?" said Lucius.

"I must say we did duel."

"So you're all proud and glorious, aren't you!" yelled Draco. Lair looked offended and was not able to speak. "Father, you don't believe her, do you? Do you seriously think Rose could – could go over to _their_ side?"

Harry was convinced Draco was a really good actor.

"_What!"_ exlaimed Lair. She seemed to be taken aback by this news, and so was Harry.

"Miss Lair, I must inform you that Rose is one of the most powerful supporters of the Dark Lord. It was kept secret among us, especially commanded by the Dark Lord," said Lucius Malfoy.

"She _can't_ be one of us," Lair hissed.

"She is one of us, who believe the Dark Lord."

"Father, I think Rose should go and rest," said Draco, getting up. He pulled Rose to her feet. She had stopped crying now, but she was still clinging onto Draco as though afraid something might attack her.

"Lead her to her dormitory, and make sure she rests well," said Lucius, agreeing. "And Draco, do take care of your fiancee," he added, smiling rather proudly.

"_Fiancee?"_ said Lair, standing up. Again, Harry felt the same surprise.

"Shut up, will you?" said Draco to Lair. Harry wanted to speak up, to ask Draco about it but he just could not give away. "Rose, what do you want to do? Do you want to eat? Or perhaps you'd rather clean up and rest?"

"I want to sleep," said Rose unexpectedly. Her voice was rather strong, considering her physical state. Draco gave Harry a swift glance, and Harry immediately knew what it meant; Rose was trying to say something. But what it meant, Harry did not understand.

"You want to sleep?" said Draco pointedly.

"Sleep," said Rose shortly.

Harry was starting to wonder how on earth he'd work out what "sleep" meant when Hermione nudged him in the elbow. He turned and saw Hermione staring meaningfully at him. He gave her a questioning look, but no answer came. He looked at Ron, and he gave a quizzical look as well. Harry decided that his best chance was for Hermione to whisper to him. Slowly, he leaned his head on Hermione's shoulder. He faked a yawn and closed his eyes. He felt Hermione's hot breath on his cheek, and on his ear.

"_She wants you to sleep,"_ she said under her breath. Harry had no chance to ask why he should sleep. He gave Hermione one confused look, and Harry willed himself to fall asleep, leaning on her.


	19. Claire

Okay, chapter nineteen, guys! By the way, you might get a bit of a shock here, but Rose turns kinda punk style… He he he… Just, read on, okay?

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Title: The Future is Waiting**

**Chapter 19: Claire**

Harry was not sure when he exactly fell asleep. He was not even sure if Rose really meant she wanted Harry to sleep. His head on Hermione's shoulder, he tried to let go of all his thoughts.

Things like "I can't sleep," or "Am I doing the right thing?" drifted across, but the stuff that got his attention was the recent information he had just heard.

Rose was Malfoy's fiancee. Perhaps Rose was right. Harry gets mad when she forgets to tell him things. Who wouldn't get angry if they were in Harry's position? Ron and Hermione kept saying Harry was obvious so undoubtedly, Rose would notice. Harry openly liked her (even Snape knew). How come she didn't tell Harry that she was to marry Malfoy? Was this the reason why Malfoy was so paranoid about any other guy who was close to Rose?

_But Rose lost her memory, so she can't tell you about it,_ said the tiny voice in Harry's mind. _She could've told me before that. We've known each other quite long,_ said Harry stubbornly. _I'll ask her everything when we meet again – when she wakes up,_ Harry concluded.

"Harry… Harry, can you hear me?" said Sirius' voice. Harry opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed. Looking around, he saw he was again in Sirius' house, in the familiar bedroom. He was dreaming. But this time, it felt real. He _was_ lying in bed.

"Sirius?" Sirius' face was peering over him, matted hair and all.

"Harry… Are you all right?"

"Y – yes… Wh – why am I here?"

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess… What's happening?" said Harry, getting up.

"You're in my house – "

"How'd I get here?" Harry rubbed his eyes.

"You're not here physically, just your soul – "

"_My soul?"_ said Harry, horrified. "How come my soul's here? I'm dead?"

"You're not dead, Harry – "

"But – why? My body's back at Hogwarts? I can't be like this! Why's this hap – "

"_Harry!_ Listen to me for a minute, all right?" Sirius raised his voice. Harry was immediately silenced. "Harry, you will be al right. You'll be fine. This is temporary. You'll get back into your body when you've finished what you need to do."

"What do I need to do?"

"That is for – _her_ to explain," said Sirius. Then, he stood back and Harry got a full view of the room.

Opposite his bed, the red-haired woman he saw in his dream was bent low over the other bed. The woman stood back, revealing –

"Claire?" said Harry, confused. The girl on the bed looked at him with sad, ocean blue eyes. "Claire, I thought you were gone? I – I thought… You said goodbye – "

"Harry, I'm sorry to have dragged you into this," said the girl.

"What d'you mean?" Harry got up and approached the bed. The girl, too, got up and stood in front of Harry.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't know this would happen!" said the girl. She hugged Harry, head bowed, and sobbed.

"Claire…" said Harry. He was trying to comfort her, at the same time ask what it was all about. He wished he knew what was happening.

"Claire, darling… This is not your fault," said the red-haired woman. Tears began to stream down her cheek too. Sirius approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Regina…" said Sirius in a quiet voice. _Regina._ Something stirred in Harry's memory. It sounded familiar. But Harry could not recall. "You shouldn't blame yourself either. It's no one's fault. It's destiny – "

"You remember what I always used to say?" said the woman.

"Destiny sucks," said Sirius, his lips almost smiling. "Sure it does. It always does. That's why we met, remember?"

"You punk," said the woman.

"You two better get back," said Sirius, more seriously, this time.

"What – " Harry started.

"Mr. Potter, please take care of my daughter," said the woman, turning to Harry.

"Your – daughter?" said Harry, clueless.

"I'm sorry," said the girl who was still sobbing into Harry. She turned and faced the woman. "Mom, I'm sorry I didn't – "

"Shhh…" said the woman. She got up and walked to Harry and the girl. She hugged the girl. "Harry, please take care of Claire," she said. She then hugged Harry. "I'm so happy I had the chance to meet you." Harry was not able to reply.

"Harry, you can't marry her, okay?" said Sirius jokingly, then Harry realized what Sirius must have meant. "But take care of her…"

"What – Claire…? Rose?" said Harry. The girl turned. Tears still in her eyes, she smiled a sad smile.

"Sorry I had to do this, Harry… I had no other choice… But – "

"You mean, you're Claire? I mean, you're Rose? Y – you're the same person?"

"_What!_ You didn't get that? How slow are you, Harry?" said Sirius. "I'm starting to regret I became the godfather of a slow one!"

"Sirius!" said the red-haired woman; Rose's mother.

Suddenly, blinding white light flashed all around. Harry stirred awake. Hermione was looking at him more confused than ever. He was back. He looked around. Malfoy and Rose weren't there.

_Apparate._

A voice from somewhere said. Harry looked around. He was now thinking he was going mad.

_Apparate. You know how to._

Harry looked at Hermione.

"Did you hear that?" he hissed.

"Hear what?"

_Get to her._

"That! Didn't you – "

"I'm not hearing anything, Harry…"

Harry realized. The voice sounded like it came from Sirius. Harry decided to talk to it, or more like think of his answer.

_I don't know how to Apparate._

_You know how to._

_I don't!_

_Just close your eyes and will yourself to do so._

_You want me to Apparate to – Rose?_

_You _are_ slow, aren't you?_

_Where is she?_

_In her dormitory._

_I don't know where that is!_

_You'll find her. Just will yourself to be with her. You'll find her._

Harry shut his eyes and simply willed himself to Apparate, more like for his body to be lifted from the chair he was sitting on without moving his lower limb muscles. One moment he felt like he wasn't making any progress and the next he was sitting on a soft, cushiony something. He opened his eyes and found himself in a dark room.

"Potter? How did you get here?" said the voice of Draco Malfoy from a dark corner of the room. Harry saw some movement, and a light flicked on from another corner; Rose had lit a lamp.

"Wh – I – Is this your dormitory?" said Harry to Rose.

"It's her _room_, Potter," said Malfoy. "She has her own room."

"Harry, are you all right?" said Rose, kneeling before Harry like a servant to her king. She placed her hands on Harry, as though trying to feel any unnaturalness.

"I – I'm fine," said Harry. He did a side-glance at Malfoy and saw him eyeing Rose's hands angrily. Harry suddenly remembered why he was there. "Rose – how come you never told me – why – "

"I'm sorry, Harry… I didn't want to fool you – I was all – " Rose started explaining, but an urgent knock on the door cut her.

"They're looking for you, Potter! Rose, put out the lamp. I'm going to tell them you're resting – not to be disturbed – " Malfoy got up from his chair. Rose did as she was told. She and Harry sat still on the bed while Malfoy talked to the person at the door.

"Potter's gone – He just disappeared – We didn't know he knew how to Apparate!"

"Go find him!" said Malfoy, faking his anger. "You can't let him escape! Go! Don't knock here until you've found him! You're disturbing us!"

The door slammed shut.

"Some acting, huh?" said Malfoy, smirking as he walked back to Harry and Rose.

"Yeah, you're about to win your trophy," said Harry. Rose remained silent.

"You have nothing to apologize about, Rose," said Malfoy.

"Yes, but I have something to make up for," Rose replied, getting up. "Draco, Harry and I will get out through the rooftop. Tell them when they come that I'm still resting. Cover up for us. We'll do the work."

"Yeah, okay – "

"Rose, why – "

"I'll explain everything when we get out, Harry. Let's go," Rose took Harry's hand and they got out of the room, creeping up the stairs.

They reached the top of the stairs and Harry saw a trapdoor in the ceiling, which was low enough. Rose pushed the trapdoor open, and pushed herself up. Harry followed.

Harry found himself on a vast plain marble floor; the rooftop.

"Rose, why – " Harry began. He turned to Rose and saw her close to tears once more.

"Harry, I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You've nothing to be sorry about. We've talked about that in the dream – "

"I – I made you believe things… I simply lied to you…"

"I understand why… That woman… with Sirius, is she your mother?" Rose gave a small nod. "But why – is Sirius your – _father_?"

"No…"

"Then, why – "

"My mother had an arranged marriage… With my father…" Rose explained quietly. She sat down, and Harry followed. "When she was stil at Hogwarts, she had liked your godfather very much, and he liked her too… But after school, mother was forced to marry father… She continued seeing Sirius, so the Ashworths' doubt about her was not unbased. Sirius was arrested and placed in Azkaban, so Severus became my godfather instead…"

"Why Snape?"

"One of the many reasons why Severus hated Sirius was because they liked the same girl back at school…."

"Your mother…" said Harry, now understanding bits and pieces of what was going on.

"I had to lie to you about those draems on Professor Dumbledore's command – "

"Hang on… You've got your memory back?" said Harry, remembering suddenly.

"I – didn't lose my memory," said Rose. "I had to lie about that too…"

A faint anger stirred inside Harry. How many more lies did Rose make? But he had no time for anger in such conditions. His brain was overloading with information; information he didn't quite understand.

"Severus doesn't know this, so don't get mad at him either," said Rose, guessing what Harry was thinking.

"How come Snape doesn't know?"

"He intended to partially erase my memory… to make me forget everything about you and Draco… If I must say… he knew something was going on between the three of us…" Harry saw Rose blush slightly. "He made me take a potion, but I managed to kill its effects right before I drank it… But from then on, I had to act like a different person – "

"Why did you have to flirt?" said Harry, sounding rather offensive.

"Don't tell me you didn't like it," Rose smirked.

"Well, yeah… But… I didn't!" defensed Harry.

"_You_ didn't like it?"

"_That _is _not_ the point here!" Harry cut Rose.

"Oh, by the way," said Rose. "I haven't found out why we kept seeing mother and Sirius in our dreams and why we kept meeting there anyway."

"Yeah… We can figure that out after this… What're we supposed to do anyway?" said Harry, remembering his "mission."

"Fight evil… Destroy darkness… Protect the good people…" said Rose randomly, staring at the floor.

"Are you serious?"

"Shut up, Potter," she replied, getting up.

"What?" said Harry. He then got up too.

Rose stared at the moon (which was shining brightly over them as it was full moon, by the way) as though waiting for some signal. Harry had to admire the way she looked, a warrior poised to go into honorable battle. Harry shook his head; He had to get serious. He had a battle ahead of him. Only, with whom, he really did not know.

Suddenly, a familiar echoing bell sounded from somewhere below them.

"Wasn't that – "

"_Voldemort," _said Rose, now looking all around.

"That was the sound we heard when you got trapped down the Potions corridor before," said Harry, recalling.

Just as what had happened during the night Harry was recalling, red sparks were flying everywhere once more, but none came close to the place where Harry and Rose were standing.

"Listen, go back to Draco and plan how you're going to get the others out of the common room," said Rose.

"And you?" said Harry, suspecting what the answer was going to be.

"I have to know what's going on. It could be Voldemort, or maybe just his servants out there – "

"You _can't _go alone!"

"Skip the saving thing, okay? You've got a whole lot more people to save back there. And _besides_, it's not like I'm going to charge them headlong. I've still got brains, great Harry Potter."

"What are you exactly planning to do?"

"I'm _planning_ to save your ass," said Rose unexpectedly. Harry stared, and as he did so, the sound of the bell grew louder and louder. "Listen, you don't know me, okay? Skip the surprised reaction! Get used to it! Now, _go_!"


End file.
